Escape the Day
by Sir-Not-Appearing-In-This-Show
Summary: In the wake of a revealing truth, Nathan and Audrey fight William, the Troubles, and her mysterious past.
1. chapter 1

**Okay, for the first time in a _long_ time, I'm attempting a multi-chapter fic.**

**Basically I've been trying to write a post-finale fic for ages, and it just wasn't happening. I'll leave dealing with the whole Mara business to the writers for now.**

**Instead, this picks up after 4.11. I may fudge some of the details later on but mostly I'll try to stick to the shows canon up to that point.**

* * *

For the third time that week, Nathan Wuornos was once again woken up in the middle of the night by the woman sleeping next to him.

The first few nights they'd spent together, Nathan had woken up any time Audrey had rolled into him. The simplest contact startled him awake, but he'd learned to listen to her steady breathing and watch her peaceful face as he fell back asleep. After a while he simply grew used to it, and when she would throw her leg over his or wiggle into his arms as they slept he wouldn't even realize it until they woke the next morning.

However, recently Nathan was not woken by Audrey's accidental touches, but rather by the sudden thrashing of her limbs, most prominently when they collided with his own.

"_Hey_! Hey, Parker. It's me." Nathan couldn't help but feel a little guilty as he pinned her wrists down to the mattress, but she was going to hurt herself sooner or later. "Hey, wake up."

She relaxed her arms and he released them, hovering over her form. She had stopped moving but her eyes were still closed, and he reached out a careful hand, rubbing her shoulder.

"Audrey?"

"Gimme a minute." Came the whispered reply, and Nathan leaned back, moving over to give her some room.

He took the moment to glance over her, checking for any more mysterious injuries. He still didn't trust how quickly she seemed to have recovered from the gunshot, but her healing was just as questionable as how she received the wound in the first place. Whatever her connection with William was, Nathan knew they had to severe it as quickly as possible, preferably so he could beat the man into oblivion.

He'd let Audrey have the first shot though, he was a gentleman after all.

Slowly she opened her eyes, and he reached out a hand to brush her hair away from her face, fingers resting on her forehead for a moment. She didn't feel hot, which hopefully meant she wasn't coming down with anything.

Unfortunately, it also meant something else was causing the nightmares.

"Hey." She blinked up at him, her face slowly slipping into a smile. "Sorry I woke you."

Nathan shook his head, his hand still stroking her cheek gently. She was always apologizing for things like this, but the truth was he regretted all the nights she'd woken from nightmares without him there. They'd both made terrible, dumb mistakes, and pushed each other away for useless reasons. They missed out on so much of their relationship already, he didn't want her to feel she was bothering him with moments like this.

"It's fine. Are you alright?"

She pushed herself up so she was leaning back against the headboard, hands coming up to rub at her forehead. She certainly didn't look alright, but as always she shrugged the question away.

"It's nothing."

Nathan knew he didn't have much room to talk when it came to being stubborn, but sometimes Audrey's constant habit of brushing everything off with a brave smile drove him crazy.

"It's not nothing." He raised his eyebrows and she sighed audibly, crossing her arms across her chest. "What's bothering you?"

She dropped her gaze, studying the stitched pattern on her old bedspread in a blatant attempt to avoid the question. As she silently picked at the fraying thread, Nathan relented, shaking his head slightly.

"Fine. We don't have to talk about it."

She glanced back up at him with a look that seemed so unsure it was almost frightening. Audrey was never unsure; she had an answer for everything, even if it wasn't the answer he wanted. Especially then.

"I'm sorry." Her voice sounded small all of a sudden, and he felt the urge to pull her close. "I just…_can't-"_

"What, can't tell me?" Audrey's eyes flashed as he interrupted her, and he immediately regretted it.

"No. Not now." She reached out and laid a hand on his, scooting closer along the headboard until their shoulders bumped.

"I can't help if you don't tell me."

She smiled slowly at his words, her hand squeezing his fingers tight. There seemed to be something more lurking in her expression, something more she was holding back. It hurt to see her pull away from him. He raised his hand and tucked her hair behind her ears, his fingers lingering on her warm skin for a moment. She closed her eyes as she touched her, her head craning towards his.

"Sometimes I dream about losing you."

Her voice was quiet and soft, and for a minute he was taken aback by her admission. She moved minutely closer to him and he wrapped an arm around her waist, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. Nathan himself was no stranger to those dreams; he could count the number of times he'd had nightmares about losing her to any number of supernatural forces. He supposed now he'd have to add phantom bullet to the list.

"And now I-I dream about _hurting_ you, and others, and I….." Audrey's voice broke off. He pulled her closer into him, resting his chin on top of her head for a moment.

"You wouldn't hurt me."

She wrenched away suddenly and the pain was clear on her face, mixed with something else that looked impossibly like guilt. He reached for her but she pulled her hand back, crossing her arms again, eyes downcast.

"What's this about, Parker?"

She scrubbed a hand over her face, fingers working her temples. "Nothing. Forget it." The reply was muffled by her hand, and he sighed, giving in for a final time.

"Okay."

For a long moment she sat with her head in her hands, hair spilling over her shoulders to cover her face. He waited until she raised her head once more, meeting his gaze at last.

"I'm sorry for waking you." She repeated, and he bit back his immediate response, instead settling for a nod.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?" Nathan wished his own voice didn't sound so ragged and worn out. He sounded desperate for a good nights sleep, but he didn't want her thinking he wouldn't sit here with her, if that's what she wanted.

"No." He opened his mouth to make another offer, but she shook her head. "I'm gonna sit outside for a little bit. Alone. If that's, uh, okay."

He swallowed hard and nodded. Her quick response was disappointing, but he tried to take it in stride. Whatever was going on in her head, she clearly thought she could deal with it all on her own. Audrey's independence was something he loved about her, but he couldn't deny the hurt he felt at her blatant rejection. Seeing her in pain was bad enough, but knowing she didn't want to at least let him in a little made it all the worse.

She threw back the covers and slipped off the bed, grabbing her sweatshirt as she headed for the door. She stepped outside without another word, and Nathan was left alone in the dark room.

—

Audrey felt a terrible guilt as she closed the doors to the wooden patio, the cool night air hitting her skin immediately. She knew that she shouldn't keep things from Nathan anymore; they were in a relationship now, he had a right to know about something of this caliber. And yet she couldn't bring herself to tell him. She was still grappling with the horrible truth William had shared with her, and it was hard enough to deal with on her own. She couldn't even imagine Nathan's reaction to finding out that _she_was the reason he was numb, that _she'd_ cursed this whole town, that_she'd_ caused every problem they'd ever faced.

As she eased herself into one of the hard wooden chairs, she considered how he'd respond to her newfound information. Nathan had said he didn't care who she was, he still loved her. But how could he stand by that when he realized _what_ she was?

A monster, for sure. A woman who had taken joy in hurting people, who'd ruined so many peoples lives. Someone who had been delusional enough to love William.

Still, that wasn't what truly terrified her. What was really horrifying was the fact that when she thought of this woman, when she imagined being her, she didn't feel detached, like she was reading about it in a book or listening to a story unfold.

Ever since William told her of her origins, that she'd _started_ the troubles, the nightmares had began.

At first they were relatively tame. She'd watched Nathan, Duke, even Jennifer and Dwight die at the hands of the troubled, and she'd known she was responsible. Over and over. It seemed like her brain never had a shortage of horrible ways to kill off the people she cared about.

Unfortunately, the dreams had only gotten worse and worse. Soon enough she turned into the killer; ruthless and uncaring as she watched her friends die. And in those dreams, she _felt_ the woman William thought she was, the same way she'd felt Lucy in her dreams before she went into the barn.

God, learning about Lucy and Sarah and the Colorado Kid seemed like a lifetime ago. In a way, Audrey supposed, it was.

Mentally, she re-added the Colorado Kid (_James,_ her mind reminded her._James Cogan. Your son.) _to the list of things she should probably bring up with Nathan. They'd had a brief, awkward discussion about it the first night they'd slept together, fueled primarily by her curiosity about Sarah and Nathan's relationship.

But so much had happened since then, they never seemed to have the time to sit and talk about these things. And yet here she was, pushing him away as he tried to connect with her. Tried to help her.

Audrey shook her head, trying desperately to quiet the ever present voice in her head that reminded her of the next foe to face, the next problem on her list. She leaned her head back in the chair and peered out over the water, watching as the sun just barely crept over the horizon.

It was truly beautiful here, she thought. It was a shame so many awful things had to occur in a place so beautiful.

As the sun rose higher she considered crawling back into bed with Nathan, maybe trying to steal a few more hours of sleep. She knew he'd press her more on the issue tomorrow, but she could at least escape his questions for a little while longer.

Or, so she thought. As she stood up out of the chair, pushing up the sleeves of the sweatshirt she'd borrowed (and never really returned) from him, the door behind her pushed open.

Her hand flew to her waist on instinct, forgetting that she was wearing pajamas, and there was only one person it would be anyway.

Nathan leaned against the door frame, doing up the rest of the buttons on his shirt. He was fully dressed, and her brow furrowed. Was he leaving because of what she'd said? Or rather, what she hadn't said?

"We've got a case." He explained, finished the last button and glancing up at her with a steely look. "A body down at the tennis courts, one in town square, and one down on State Street." He slid his phone back into his pocket, clipping his badge into place.

"William?" She asked, although she already knew the answer. Three bodies, there was no way he wasn't involved.

Nathan nodded, turning around to head back inside. Audrey followed him, trying to ignore the silence hanging in the air between them. She grabbed her buzzing phone off the bedside table, scrolling through the same messages Nathan had received. At least a case would buy her a few more hours of avoiding his concerns.


	2. chapter 2

**First of all, I swear I didn't intend for this to get this long, it just sort of happened.  
****Second, updates will hopefully be regular, and will usually come on Friday or Saturday. This was done now and I'll take any excuse to avoid homework, so here you go. :)  
Third, thanks so much for the great response! I'm so glad you guys like it so far.  
****Lastly, this chapter follows the plot of 4.12 pretty closely, but it'll start deviating from the show's canon soon.**

* * *

The drive into town was uncomfortably quiet. Although Audrey wouldn't qualify Nathan as one for small talk even on the best of days, after what had happened that morning he seemed even more withdrawn. Which was probably fair, she thought. She'd do the same if he was holding out on her.

And despite all the rational parts of her that urged her to confide in him, she just _couldn't_ bring herself to do it. The fear that he would reject her was too great. She could face this on her own, but she didn't think she couldn't deal with the disgust she'd see in his eyes when he realized just what she'd done.

Nathan parked the car without a word, and as he stepped out and slammed the door, Audrey took a minute to gather herself. She'd have to push her own problems aside for the time being to deal with whatever fresh hell William was bringing them today.

After a minute she spared a glance in the direction Nathan had headed and undid her seatbelt, helping herself out of the car. Nathan had decided they'd stop at the tennis courts first, then work their way to the other locations, assuming they couldn't get anything concrete here. And it already looked like they wouldn't. She shut the car door and took a look around the area; there were minimal witnesses, no blood or anything else that stood out. In fact, excluding the body being wheeled off the court, it didn't look like anything at all had happened.

Not for the first time, Audrey wished she lived in a town where the murders were committed by real people, not by shadows or ghosts or fantastical creatures.

As she approached Nathan standing off to the side with another officer, movement on the other side of the court caught her eye. Turning her head slightly she caught sight of no other than the man of the hour- _William_.

He gave an exaggerated wave and she narrowed her eyes. She knew he was over-the-top gutsy, but he had to have more nerve than she thought coming to a crime scene.

Nathan broke away from the officer and stepped towards her, though her attention was still focused on William.

"Witness said the victim asked if he heard some noise before he died, although everybody else says the place was silent. Nothing else yet, although I'd still bet on William."

"Probably a fair call." She nodded over to the other side. "He's here."

She watched the change in Nathan's posture as he looked over to where William stood. All of a sudden he seemed stiff, defensive. She certainly couldn't blame him, as their last meeting with William had ended about as badly as it could have. Still, she knew what she had to do.

"I'll go talk to him."

Nathan turned to her quickly, a rebuttal ready on his lips, but she shook her head. As much as she'd like to have Nathan by her side, this was a conversation she needed to have with William one-on-one.

"He can't hurt me, remember?" Audrey placed a hand on his forearm in an attempt to reassure him, her fingers lightly brushing his skin. "And you can't hurt him." She gently chastised, although she knew it wasn't needed. Nathan had given himself constant reminders not to touch William after he'd inadvertently shot her, but with his occasional hot-head and William's penchant for pushing buttons, she still didn't want to take any chances.

"Right. Be careful." He whispered, and she gave his arm one last squeeze before turning away.

William still wore that same self-satisfied smirk, and as she approached him it only grew. She could feel Nathan's eyes on her, watching her closely. As good as it was to know that he had her back, she couldn't help but worry what he'd do if he perceived her to be in danger.

"Trouble in paradise?" William's teasing tone set her on edge, raising the hair on the back of her neck.

"What do you want?" She asked bluntly, but her harsh words did nothing to wipe the smile off his face.

He glanced her up and down in a way that made her skin crawl, and she crossed her arms defensively.

"Just wanted to make sure you're okay. I mean, Nathan did _shoot_ you-"

"He shot _you._" Audrey stepped closer, dropping her voice slightly. She knew Nathan was still lurking behind them, keeping an eye on her. It was comforting in a way, but this wasn't something she wanted him to overhear.

William reached out and poked her harshly in the side before she could react, retracting his hand with a shrug.-

"He hurt you and_ I _healed you, I think I deserve a thank you."

Her first instinct was to go for her gun, but she knew it wouldn't be much of a threat. If pulling the trigger would end with her on the ground too, he had to know she wouldn't go through with it. Instead she took an immediate step back, glancing behind her quickly. Nathan had disappeared, and she felt her heartbeat speed up. She didn't need him making an more rash decisions, even if half of her brain was screaming at her to kick William's ass as well.

Scanning the court, her nerves dissipated when she recognized his blue Bronco had vanished too. He was most likely headed back to the station, leaving her to deal with the psychopath on her own. It was probably a good call, it would be easier to talk to William without worrying what Nathan would do, or worse, what he would overhear. She knew William would jump at the chance to tell him just what he'd told her, and she'd never forgive herself if Nathan found out that she was responsible for the Troubles from anyone else.

"Are you one of those couples who just _has_ to know where the other is all the time? Because, honestly, that's a little clingy."

Audrey turned back to face him with a stoney glare. "Don't touch me." She replied, ignoring his probing question. He chuckled a little at her words, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Okay." He placated her, taking a large step back so he was against the chain-link fence. "You win."

She took a deep breath, trying to still all of the thoughts swirling in her head. There were too many things she needed to know, too many questions she had to ask him. She settled for the easiest one first.

"Did you kill these people?"

William gave an exaggerated shrug, tilting his head to the side. "W-e-l-l," He drew out the word, and she felt her patience already growing thin. She wasn't in the mood for his showmanship, she needed answers _now_.

"Not directly." His smile widened, and for the hundredth time she had to remind herself not to slap it off. "I can't take all of the credit. But, I can take most of it."

So that meant he troubled someone. Another innocent victim in all of this. Whoever it was probably didn't even realize what they were doing, or who they were hurting.

"Who?" She watched his face closely but he didn't give anything away, sticking to that smug look he so favored.

"Come with me and I'll show you."

Audrey almost laughed at that. "I'm not going anywhere with you." He had to be joking, like hell she was going to follow him somewhere else. Not after everything he'd done, and especially not after what she knew he was capable of.

"Oh, come on." He actually sounded a bit disappointed, like a petulant child who didn't get his way. "Don't you want to get to do your Audrey Parker thing and tell them how special they are?"

Suddenly she remembered his words from the last time they met, about how she had the wrong idea that she was some kind of savior. Why would he want her to help now?

"What are you getting at?"

William laughed again, leaning forward towards her. "You'll see soon enough." He stepped towards the open gate, spinning back around to offer her a hand. "Coming?"

Honestly, this whole song and dance was getting old. But it wasn't like she had much of a choice; it was either go meet Nathan at the station and tell him she had nothing, or tag along with William and attempt to wrangle some more answers.

With a sigh, she decided on option two, and reluctantly followed him through the gate.

* * *

As it turned out, William took her to the next place on her list. As they walked through the town square, Audrey glanced around for Nathan, but was relieved to see he hadn't followed up at the other locations. The crime scene tape was still wrapped around a sectioned off area, but aside from a handful of uniforms, it didn't look like anything horrific had happened here either.

"So, you excited?"

She turned to glare at William, stuffing her hands roughly in the pockets of her jacket in an attempt to suppress the urge to hit him. It didn't work.

"What, do I get the silent treatment now? That's a little unfair, don't you think?"

She whirled around to meet him, face flushing as she tried to combat her anger. Maybe Nathan wasn't the one she should have been worried about, maybe she would end up hurting him and injuring herself. At the moment it honestly seemed like it would be worth it.

"I'm over your little game, okay?" She stepped closer, and for the briefest moment something close to fear flashed in his eyes. "You're going to tell me who the troubled person is. And after I've helped them, I'm going to lock you up for the rest of your days."

As quickly as his smile had disappeared it spread across his face again, and that teasing glint reappeared in his eye. Her threats meant nothing to him, just as they always had.

"No you won't. But, we'll get to that later." He pointed behind her, and she turned slowly. "There's your troubled guy."

Audrey squinted up at the little family standing atop the hill, the man and woman happily chatting with one another.

"Which of them is it?"

She felt William's laughter behind her, creeping up her spine in a very unpleasant way.

"You'll see."

Just as he spoke the man reached down and lifted the tiny baby out of his wife's arms, and Audrey felt her throat close up.

A black handprint, same as the one she'd seen on Carrie Benson and Jack Driscoll, was stamped clear on the baby's back. As the parents rocked the child back and forth, Audrey turned back around to face the man responsible.

"You're a monster."

"Coming from you, that _almost_ sounds like a compliment."

She pushed by him roughly, pulling her phone from her pocket even as he called after her.

"Hey! You're gonna miss the best part!"

She'd barely started scrolling through her contacts when a loud cry pierced the air. Passersby turned to stare at the young parents as they gently rocked the baby, attempting to soothe it as it wailed. After a moment their efforts succeeded, and the baby quieted as the two adults sent sympathetic looks to their surrounding neighbors.

Audrey turned to William with a frown.

"What's the best part?"

He chuckled. "That was it. You missed it."

"What are you-" She cut off as her phone buzzed in her hand, flashing several messages from the dispatch.

Four more bodies.

If the baby was the troubled one, it had to have _just_ caused those deaths, which meant…

"Oh my god." The realization seemed to slap her in the face. She had dealt with difficult troubles before, but this was going to be something completely new.

"There it is." William stepped up alongside her again. "Don't worry, this one'll be easy."

"Easy?" No, there was no way this was going to be easy. "I can't just…. Talk a baby out of crying!"

He sighed, shaking his head. "That's not what I meant. The ole' Audrey Parker tricks aren't gonna work for this one."

She just _knew_ she shouldn't ask, shouldn't bait him any further, but she already had 7 bodies on her hands, God knew she needed all the help she could get.

"What did you have in mind, then?" She asked through clenched teeth, her patience worn far too thin.

He leaned in closer towards her, and she fought the urge to recoil. "I didn't create this trouble. _You_ did. I always liked it though."

"And what does that have to do with me fixing it?"

William gave another dramatic sigh, like she was completely missing the point.

"You created this trouble originally. When he cries, people die. Right?"

Audrey nodded slowly. As he took a step towards her she automatically backtracked, clenching her hands tight into fists at her sides. He smirked at her reaction, but kept going.

"Soooo, wouldn't it make sense to create another trouble that counteracts that? Something that makes _silence_?"

Strangely enough, his offer _did_ make sense. If she gave someone else a trouble that created a silence bubble of sorts, maybe it would cancel out the baby's deadly cries.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind Audrey shook her head. _No,_ she couldn't. She wouldn't let herself give someone else a trouble.

"Come on, you know I'm right."

So this was his plan. Get her to trouble another innocent victim, and then….

"What happens if I give someone a trouble?" Audrey hated the way her voice shook in front of him.

William's self-assured smile changed, and for a moment it seemed almost…. _happy._

"Well, if I'm right, then you remember being _you. _The real you. No more Audrey Parker."

"No." Her response was immediate, and she turned away from him, retreating back up the pathway. She ignored his parting shouts as she dug her phone out of her pocket once more, fingers automatically dialing Nathan's number. Her insides twisted as she considered just what William's suggestion would mean. In addition to ruining some poor soul's life with a curse they never asked for, she'd risk turning back into the woman she'd once been, into that awful person who had hurt so many people.

No, she couldn't let that happen. There had to be another way around it.

* * *

As much as he tried to pretend otherwise, Nathan was growing concerned. He had skipped out of watching Audrey and William back at the crime scene; he knew she was more than capable of handling herself, and if he had to be in the same vicinity as that guy for more than five minutes he wasn't sure if he could keep himself from arresting him.

But after milling around the station for a few hours, going through what little information they had on the deaths that morning, Nathan couldn't help but be a little worried. He'd hoped to hear from Audrey soon after he got back, but she hadn't even sent him a text.

He had to assume she was still with William, which was always a concerning thought. As much as he trusted Audrey, there wasn't a cell in his body that would ever trust William.

An hour and a half after he'd made it back to the station they got a call about even more deaths under the same suspicious circumstances as the ones that morning. He considered contacting Audrey, but didn't want to disturb her if she was in the middle of getting answers out of William.

But just as he was grabbing his coat to head out his phone rang anyway, and Audrey's number flashed across the screen. He picked it up quickly, trying to sound much less nervous than he felt as he answered.

"What's up, Parker? Where are you?"

"We gotta talk. Now." She sounded upset, and anger flashed red hot inside of him.

"What happened with William?"

"Can you come pick me up?" He heard a crackle, like she was shifting the phone around, before she continued. "I'm at McKillion and Pinewood, is that okay?"

"Are _you_ okay?" Nathan rushed out of the station quickly, brushing past a group of uniforms as he pulled out his keys.

"I'm fine. I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah." He was reluctant to hang up, but as he slid into the front seat of the bronco he heard the click on the other end, signifying Audrey had no such qualms.

He made it there in under ten minutes, and still managed to abide by all the street signs, which was an achievement.

Audrey gave him a tired smile as she got in the car, but he certainly wasn't about to be fooled that easily. As she settled in and pulled her seatbelt across her lap, Nathan turned the car off.

She looked up at him with a frown. "What's wrong?"

"You said we needed to talk, so let's talk."

"Right here?" She released the seatbelt and it flew back with a loud snap.

"Tell me what happened with William." The small distance between them on the bench seat felt like miles as she averted her gaze, pressing her lips tight together. He reached out and grabbed her hand, eliciting a small smile from her.

"What's got you spooked?" Nathan lowered his voice as he spoke. It was just the two of them in the empty cab of the car, no need to broadcast their conversation.

Audrey met his eyes, and he was taken aback by the fear he saw reflected in her face.

"You know when I was in that…. _other_ Haven? Without the Troubles?" Her voice was barely a whisper, but it was enough. He nodded.

"While I was there, William told me who I was. Who I _really_ was, before Sarah, and Lucy, and… Audrey."

Nathan frowned slightly, but waited for her to continue.

"He says he knew me, my _original_ self, and I guess he must have because…." Audrey trailed off momentarily, shaking her head as she regathered herself. She pressed on in a louder voice, displaying confidence Nathan knew she didn't really feel. "He said that together _we_ created the Troubles. We started all of this. _I_ started all of this."

"That's impossible." The words escaped his mouth before he could help it, and her face fell. He knew that Audrey's past was a mystery, but this was something he'd just never considered. How could she have _started_ the Troubles? She was the one who fixed them, every time. She'd spent all of her lives helping troubled people, there's no way she was the cause of it all in the first place.

"It's not. It makes sense, doesn't it?" She shifted on the seat, turning to face him more fully. "Agent Howard even said it seemed like I was being punished. It would explain why the only way to end the Troubles for good was to kill someone I love."

"But you _help_ people." He'd seen it himself countless times. How many lives had she saved during her time in Haven? How many families had she helped heal?

"Only because I'm the one who hurt them in the first place." Nathan could see tears building in the corner of her eyes, but she held them back, looking down at the bench seat in between them. She cleared her throat uncomfortably, searching for the right words. "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I-I didn't know what you'd think." She squeezed his hand gently, and he knew she wanted him to give some kind of verdict. To proclaim her a lost cause or to stand with her. How she could _ever_ doubt him was the biggest mystery of all; if she knew anything, she had to know he would never leave her.

"I love you." He stated simply, reached up to brush his fingers across her cheek. She leaned into his hand, eyes fluttering closed for a brief moment. "And that's not who you are anymore."

Audrey opened her eyes at his words, and they plainly still carried that uncertain look.

"There's more." She whispered, and he sighed. "William showed me who's causing all the death's today."

He drew back his hand, surprised. "You met the troubled person? Did you get to talk to them?" This had to be a good thing; if she could talk someone troubled into being able to control whatever was happening to them, than maybe it would reassure her that she wasn't the same person who had caused that same trouble all those years ago.

"It's a baby."

He frowned, and she rushed to continue.

"He did this to a _baby_ and I… I can't do anything. When he cries people just _drop dead_, I mean Jesus, Nathan, what do I do with that? I can't just send him away somewhere, and I certainly can't just tell him not to cry. And what would I even say to his parents? It's _insane_, and horrible, and I-I can't do this." She spoke so quickly it was hard to keep up, everything she had been keeping in suddenly bubbling to the surface.

"_Hey_." He reached out his free hand and gripped her shoulder tightly, forcing her to look up at him. "It's gonna be okay."

Audrey shook her head, her tears threatening to escape again. "No, I really don't think it is. William gave me a way of stopping it, but I can't do it. I _shouldn't_ do it, but honestly I can't see another way around it."

Nathan almost wished he didn't have to ask. "What did he say?"

She took a deep breath, rubbing away her unshed tears. "He said I should make some sort of silence trouble, that it would cancel out what's happening with the baby."

"A silence trouble? Can you do that?" _Did she just carry the ability to create troubles around with her? Was this something she'd always possessed?_ Nathan felt a thousand questions building in his mind, but he knew better than to overwhelm her with the possibilities.

Audrey shrugged, seemingly at as much of a loss for answers as he was. "I don't know. William thinks I can." Giving him a sad smile, she continued. "But, it gets worse."

Nathan found that hard to believe, but he let her go on.

"William said that if I give someone a trouble…" She trailed off and glanced down at their intertwined hands. That frightened look returned to her face, and Nathan was unsure of what to do. He rubbed his thumb across her knuckles, hoping the comforting gesture would reassure her.

After a few seconds she cleared her throat, looking back up at him. "He said that if I gave someone a trouble, I'd…. return to who I was. My original self."

He swallowed hard, his grip on her hands tightening. He didn't want her to fear his response to this information; this wasn't his choice, he knew. It was hers.

"Do you think that'll happen?"

Audrey sighed. "I don't know. I'm worried it might."

There wasn't a clear answer, and they both knew it. They'd faced plenty of difficult troubled cases before, but this was one without a good solution.

Nathan hated seeing Audrey like this, so worried about the consequences of her own actions. She'd always been an act first, talk later kind of person, and seeing her agonize of what to do was almost painful. He couldn't offer her much comfort, but he could at least tell her the truth.

"I think you should do it."

She gave him a quizzical look, her eyebrows knitting together.

"Whatever happens…. I don't think you'll go back to who you were. You're Audrey Parker now, and you're a good person." He dropped her hand, reaching up to cup her cheeks in his hands as he spoke. "I don't think anything's gonna change that."

She leaned forward suddenly, throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace. He relaxed into her grip, burying his head in her shoulder as he felt her hold him close.

"We're gonna be okay." He whispered into her ear, although he wasn't sure which of them the reassurance was really for.


	3. chapter 3

**Sorry if you guys got two notifications for this chapter! I tried to do it on mobile, but something went wrong and I had to delete and re-upload it. If you'll believe it my computer broke earlier this week, and I had to type this whole thing up on my ipod. My thumbs are so sore!  
Thank you again for reviewing and following the story, it means a lot that you guys like it!  
This chapter starts to stray from canon, so just as a disclaimer: I don't own anything, obviously. Additionally, I'm confident the show's definitely _not_ going to follow any part of this story and the mythology I promise we'll eventually get into, so don't take this as my hardcore theory of anything.  
Finally, I'm just going to ignore Dave being from the other world/universe, because it doesn't fit with where I'm going and also because it still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me on the show.**

* * *

"So," Audrey pulled back from him slowly and reluctantly slid over to the other side of the seat. "What now?"

Nathan was at a loss. He felt so incapable; unable to help her, unable to stop William, unable to even give her any real comfort.

Even so, he knew he ought to try and keep them moving forward.

"We start with the troubled person." He turned the car on again as Audrey slipped on her seatbelt, and he pulled away from the curb.

"Do you remember who it was?" He wished he didn't sound so clinical about this, like it was all just another case. Like she hasn't just told him she felt in danger of losing herself.

Audrey shook her head, fingers tapping along the window.

"I didn't get names. I was just so-" She broke off, but he knew what she meant. He definitely couldn't blame her for storming out on William, Nathan knew he'd have probably done worse himself.

"Mom and dad were young, late twenties maybe. Dark hair. No idea how to find them, though." She ran a hand through her hair, closing her eyes as she focused. "I'm pretty sure they called him Aaron. We were kind of far away, but I think that was it. That doesn't really help, though." Sighing, she leaned her head against the window, staring out at the houses as they passed by.

Nathan would sooner saw off his own arm then resort to contacting William again, but he was beginning to think they might not have a way around it. At least it would give them someplace to start.

Just as he was going to poise the question to Audrey, something clicked in his head.

"Newspapers." Nathan took a sharp turn and Audrey made a surprised noise, fingers digging into the leather before he straightened out again. "Sorry."

"What about newspapers?" She looked over at him, eyebrows raised.

"The parents will be in the newspaper." He explained, taking another quick turn as he rerouted for the Herald office. Unfortunately, asking Vince and Dave for help wasn't very high on his list either, but it was far preferable to the alternative.

"What, in the classifieds? Wanted: Person who put glowing handprint on our baby. Call 555-5555?"

He spared a quick glance over at her, the corners of his mouth quirking up slightly.

"No," Nathan shook the funny look off his face and took a final, smoother turn onto Main St, the sign hanging from the window of the Herald already visible. "You know, despite all the paranormal stuff, most of Haven still operates like a small town. And most parents still put birth announcements in the paper. And they usually have pictures."

"Oh." Audrey suddenly sat up straighter, nodding. "So we can just check the records?"

"Mhm." Nathan turned the car off, looking over to find that she was already slamming the door. He caught up to her on the sidewalk, stopping her just before she climbed the steps.

"If this doesn't pan out though, we'll probably have to talk to William." Nathan hated even bringing the man up, especially with the angry look that came across her features at the mention of his name.

Audrey shrugged her shoulders, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I'm gonna have to see him anyway." At Nathan's frown, she quickly explained. "If I do end up having to trouble someone, he's got that... Magic box, or whatever."

"Right." Nathan took a deep breath, looking up at the tall windows of the Herald. At least if this gave them any answers it meant less time they'd have to spend interacting with William, and keeping Audrey away from that psychopath for any amount of time was a win in his book.

She glanced up at the building, starting up the steps. "Shall we?"

Nathan dutifully followed behind her. The door swung shut with a bang behind them as they entered the office, and it's sole occupant looked up at them in surprise.

"Hello." Dave Teagues regarded them both warily, peering out at them over his glasses. "Something wrong?"

"Where's Vince?" Audrey skipped his question, pushing open the gate that separated the waiting area from the two desks. Dave shifted in his chair, turning to face her.

"Out. Jennifer called him earlier, asked if he could come take a look at that book of hers."

Audrey looked over at Nathan, who merely shrugged. He hadn't a clue what was going on with Jennifer and her mystical book. Somehow it seemed everything was coming to a head at once: William, Audrey's past, Jennifer and that glowing book. He wouldn't be surprised if the town suffered another meteor shower in the next few days. Why not add even more crap to the list of things they had to deal with.

Audrey crossed her arms, leaning over Dave's desk. "We need to see all your papers from about... 5 months ago? Or 4, maybe. Recently."

Nathan cleared his throat, and she gave him a pitiful look. "I didn't exactly get a good look. I don't know how old it was." She sighed, turning back to Dave.

He nodded slowly, standing up from his chair and pointing to a back room past Audrey. "Look for yourselves. It should all be there." He stared after Audrey as she marched off, already pulling open the marked file cabinets. "What's going on?"

Nathan trailed after her, nodding at the newspaperman still standing by his desk, brow furrowed.

"Working a case." He joined Audrey in pulling out various copies, and Dave wandered over to lurk in the doorway.

"So nothing's wrong?"

"No, something is definitely very wrong." Audrey tugged out another stack of papers, flipping through the flimsy pages as quick as she could. "And if you could give us- _Got_ _it_!"

The exclamation caught Nathan off guard as he was scanning the paper in front of him, but he came around to where she stood and peered over her shoulder.

"'Ben and Ashley Harker announce the birth of their son Aaron.' So I got that right at least." She pointed at the black and white photo accompanying the announcement, her nail tapping over the wide, smiling faces. "That's definitely them."

Nathan looked under the photo, pleased to find the couples address printed with an open invite to a Christening party.

Audrey turned to him, folding the paper up in her hand. "Let's go, we don't want to waste any more time."

He nodded, and the two of them brushed past Dave, still standing on the edge of the room.

"What's going _on_?" He repeated, but Nathan shook his head.

"No time, we really have to go."

Audrey shouted her thanks as she ran down the steps, and the duo left Dave feeling very puzzled in the midst of a now very unorganized file room.

* * *

The Harkers lived on a hilltop that overlooked much of the water, and Audrey felt a sense of awe as they headed up the driveway. The large White House was situated in a lovely area, and Audrey could imagine it being the perfect place to raise a child. She dreaded what she would be doing in telling the Harkers what had happened to their child. No parent deserved to hear that.

As they crossed the gravel road and approached the house, Nathan squeezed her hand gently. She looked over at him, but he only gave her a little smile.

She was glad she'd finally told him everything. It was a relief to know he wouldn't give up on her. Audrey couldn't imagine having to deal with this on her own.

Just as they ascended the steps the door pushed open, and the same man Audrey had seen that morning, who had lovingly cradling and rocked his son, stepped out. He looked mildly surprised to see them, but not nearly as shocked as he probably should have been, considering that it wasn't every day two police officers showed up at his house.

"Mr. Harker?" She was glad Nathan was speaking up, because her mouth had suddenly gone dry at the sight behind him. Alongside the young mother holding baby Aaron close in her arms, was William.

If he was going to make a habit of showing up and surprising them Audrey figure she might as well take matters into her own hands. She could live with a black eye for a few days.

"Oh, you must be the detectives?" Ben Harker ran a hand through his hair, waving them into his house with the other. "Your friend said you'd be coming."

Nathan frowned and started to respond, when William stepped out beside Ben.

"Thank _god_ you guys are here. I was getting worried." He clapped Ben on the shoulder, then glanced behind him.

Ben crossed his arms. "Should we all go inside?"

Audrey felt rage swelling up inside her, and she shook her head quickly. More than anything she wanted to take a swing at William, and she was so close to giving in when Nathan gripped her hand tightly, nodding at the two men.

"Good idea. Parker?" He held out a arm, signaling for her to go first, and she couldn't help the confused look that surely shown on her face. Why was he willing to go along with whatever William was pulling? Was he crazy?

Nathan gave her a pointed look, eyes wide as he squeezed her hand, and she felt some of her anger fizzle out. He was right; she wouldn't help anyone if she let her anger get the best of her, no matter how much William clearly deserved it.

She turned to move inside, but William stepped into her path, blocking her way.

"Actually, Ben, we're gonna talk out here for a moment if that's okay." He smiled at her, and she had to dig her nails into Nathan's palm, a little too forcefully if the subtle wince he gave was any indication.

Ben nodded, letting the door fall shut behind him as he walked back to his wife.

William faced them with a smile, clapping his hands together excitedly. "Well, you made it. A little late, I gotta say. I thought you'd be here ages ago."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nathan stepped up beside her once more, his voice dropping several octaves. It was comforting to know that he was just as angry as she was, even if he was a lot better at hiding it.

"Don't worry, I'm gonna let you guys deliver the bad news. I just stopped by to give you this." With an over-the-top flourish he moved his hand and that too familiar black box appeared. He held it out for her, smile still plastered on his face.

"She won't need it." Nathan's tone was clear, no room for argument, but she knew he didn't mean it. He was just as aware of the reality of this as she was.

William regarded Nathan with raised eyebrows, then returned his gaze to Audrey.

"So you told him? That's sweet." He lifted the decorated lid of the box, revealing the darkened contents. "And yeah, she will."

Audrey took a deep breath, but it was as if her body knew what to do even without thinking about it. She picked up one of the tiny forms, rolling it lightly between her fingers.

William's face lit up, and he stared at her intently.

"I knew it." He grinned widely, and Audrey's consciousness snapped back into action.

She stuffed the item into her pocket, taking a small step back.

"If there's another way-"

"There isn't." William cut her off eagerly, closing the box with care. "You know there isn't. And I know you know, I can feel it. Our connection is so strong, can't you-"

"Stop." Nathan stepped in front of her, and she was glad to be shielded from William's intrusive gaze.

He smirked at Nathan's comment. "Okay. I'm all done. I'll be back later, after she's done you-know-what."

He jolted down the stairs, spinning around at the bottom to give her a wide wave.

"Good luck!" He turned and headed back down the hill. "Not that you need it."

Audrey let out a breath she hasn't realized she'd been holding, and Nathan released her hand.

"You know you don't have to do this, right?"

She wished it were that simple, but she knew he was wrong.

"I'm going to." Her fingers brushed the soft ball in her pocket, and she tried to ignore just how _right_ it felt in her hand. "It'll be okay."

Nathan nodded, just as the door behind them opened again.

"Everything okay?" Ben peered out at them, leaning against the doorway. "Where'd your friend go?"

"Doesn't matter. What did he tell you?" Audrey stepped past him as she entered the house, Nathan close behind. Her eyes trailed over the family portraits on the walls, the most recent ones featuring a pink-cheeked baby smiling broadly at the camera.

She felt the guilt creep through her again, knowing that she was responsible for hurting this family.

"All he said was you guys would be here soon, and it was important." Ben shrugged, leading them into the living room. "Did we do something wrong?"

"No, but we do have some bad news." Better to just get it over with, she thought. No time for pleasantries, just tell them what's going on.

"Mr. Harker, have you heard of the troubles?"

The man nodded in response, but just as he was about to answer a loud crying sounded. Audrey flinched automatically, and Ben's face flushed.

"Excuse me." He murmured, darting off down the hall. Audrey pressed her lips together. It was painful to know just what was happening, but to be unable to do anything about it. At her side, Nathan stiffened, rubbing a hand to his forehead.

After a few seconds the crying stopped, and Ben came back in the room.

"I'm sorry, my son's feeling a bit cranky today." He smiled good-naturedly, leaning back against the arm of the chair. "What did you say?"

As if on cue, her phone buzzed loudly in her pocket. She didn't bother pulling it out, already sure of what it said.

"The troubles." She managed, trying to keep her voice level.

Ben's smile dropped, and he nodded solemnly. "Of course I know about them, I'm troubled."

It took a moment before all the pieces slid into place. Of course, she thought, William hasn't had to create a trouble at all. He had simply activated a pre-existing one.

"When the men in my family cry, people just -"

"Drop dead?" She supplied, and Ben nodded.

"But we've all been taught not to cry, we haven't hurt anyone." He looked between the two of them, his confusion evident.

"Not you, Ben." Nathan quickly jumped in, and she realized he was trying to save her the pain of delivering the final blow. "It's your sons cries that are killing people."

She supposed it was better to be blunt and direct than to dance around it for any longer. But as she watched the change in Ben's face, she knew that sugarcoating it wouldn't have helped at all.

The man sagged back against the chair, his hands coming up to rub at his face. He breathed deeply, then raised his head to meet them, eyes watering.

"Are you sure?"

Audrey nodded, and he dropped his head in his hands again.

"God, I can't believe I did this to him." Ben groaned into his hands, and Audrey felt torn between comforting him, and barreling through the rest of the bad news they had to deliver.

"It's not your fault." She assured him, feeling that familiar rage spark inside of her as she thought of the position William had put them all in. "And... I think we can fix it." She pushed her hands into her pockets again, fingers automatically finding that rolled up ball, soft like clay beneath her skin. She couldn't imagine what it actually was, hadn't even thought to ask William, but somewhere deep inside of her she knew she'd be able to use it.

"What do you mean? " Ben lifted his head and pushed himself to stand up again. Audrey steadfastly ignored the redness of his eyes as she responded.

"I know this is going to be hard to believe, but I think if I can give you, or somebody in your family a trouble, that... That'll save your son." She sounded crazy saying it out loud._ I know I just told you your son's cursed, but now I want to curse somebody else in your family! You in?_

"Are you insane?" Ben's reaction wasn't surprising, and Audrey was relieved when Nathan stepped in again.

"I know how it sounds, believe me, but this is the only way, unless you can just keep Aaron from crying. This is our only option." Nathan looked down the hall, a small light coming from the last room at the end.

"Is your wife with him?"

Ben nodded, heaving a sigh. "Yes. And I'll go tell her myself, you two just... Stay put."

As he turned away, Audrey grabbed his arm.

"What about your other family? Are they in the area?" She wasn't sure if the familial connection would have any effect on a new trouble, but figured she should at least pick someone who would be around Aaron growing up. Ben was the clear candidate, but she didn't want to rule anyone else out yet.

"Yeah." He shrugged. "My dad and my step-mom."

"Call them. Please." Audrey released him, stuffing her hands in her pockets once more. "Thanks."

Ben turned back around without a word, leaving Nathan and Audrey alone in the dark.

* * *

There was a knock at the door barely ten minutes after Nathan and Audrey had been left to wait in the living room. No one came to answer it, and the two glanced at each other before the knocking came again.

Nathan shrugged and moved past her into the hall. She meandered after him, just in time to see a familiar face on the other side of the door as he pulled it open.

"Gloria?" Nathan questioned, his hand still resting on the doorknob.

"Oh, I should have known it was you two." The medical examiner gently pushed Nathan aside, helping her husband across the threshold as they entered the house.

Audrey frowned. "You're Ben's mom?"

"Step-mom." Gloria corrected automatically, guiding the detectives back to the living room. "Ben said something was wrong with Aaron." She sat down on the couch, her husband following suit. Audrey continued to linger near the door, even as Nathan sat opposite the couple.

"Aaron's troubled."

"That's impossible." The older man spoke up, leaning forward intently. "Our trouble has never been activated in childhood."

Audrey sighed. "Someone did this, it didn't just happen. But I can fix it, if I-"

"What?" Ben's father turned toward the door, shaking his head. "You're gonna have to come closer, I can't hear any of that."

She took a few more steps toward the center of the room, opening her mouth to continue when an idea suddenly formed.

"Mr. Harker-"

"Lincoln." The man smiled, and Gloria patted his arm affectionately.

"Lincoln, you're hard of hearing?"

He nodded gravely. "Left ear's almost totally gone."

Audrey quickly turned to Nathan, her eyes wide. This had to be it. If her goal was to create silence, what better person to do it with than someone who already had difficulty hearing.

"Him?" Nathan stood up, crossing the room and leaning over to whisper to her. "You sure?"

"No way to be sure about this." She pressed her lips together, taking a deep breath. "I'd say it's our best shot."

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Gloria exclaimed, shifting forward on the couch.

Audrey turned to face them just as Ben and his wife filed in, arms wrapped tight around one another.

"Oh, Ben." Lincoln stood up and gripped his son in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry."

Ben nodded into his fathers shoulder, pulling back from him after a moment.

"Me too." He returned to his wife's side, shaking his head sadly. "But, uh, you said you could help?" His face looked hopeful as he turned to Audrey, and she tried to shove down the nervous butterflies building in her stomach.

"Yes, but I have to do it fast because we haven't got a lot of time-"

"Aaron just went down, he won't wake up for at least an hour." Ashley's voice trembled as she stood beside her husband, gripping his hand in her own.

Well, at least they weren't working against a clock. "Okay, good." Audrey paused, surveying the four worried faces in front of her. _This was it,_ she thought. _Now or never. _"I'm so sorry, but our solution isn't going to be easy."

"She said she wants to give one of us a trouble." Ben quickly jumped in, and Audrey felt a shiver go down her spine.

"Can you do that?" Lincoln sat down beside Gloria again, his face wrinkling in confusion.

"Yes. I think." Audrey wished she could sound more confidant right now, but her insides seemed to be twisting.

"Well, that's new." Gloria huffed.

Nathan leant into her, his arm just barely brushing her own, and his solid weight was a comfort.

"I know it sounds scary, and wrong, and I'm sorry. But we have to do this." She turned to Lincoln now, who sat with his hands on his knees.

"To cancel out Aaron's cries I'm going to need to make a silence trouble, and I'm thinking it'll be easiest with you, Lincoln."

The older man bristled, and Gloria immediately reached out and grasped his hand.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this." Audrey looked down at the ground, avoiding the hurt she knew was blatant on their faces.

Lincoln stared at her for a moment, his eyes clear, before nodding resolutely.

"Okay. I'll do it."

"Dad!" Ben stepped forward, but Lincoln waved him off.

"I think I'm old enough to make my own decisions. And if it'll help Aaron-"

"But what if it hurts you?" Gloria turned to face him, her expression worried. "What if something goes wrong?"

Lincoln sighed, looking up at Audrey again. "You ever do this before?"

She shook her head silently.

"Well, first time for everything I suppose." He stood slowly, stepping away from the couch until he stopped in front of her. "So, what do I do?"

Audrey looked over at Nathan, still standing at her side. His face was solemn, but he gave her a small nod, an act of encouragement, and she turned back to Lincoln.

"Hold out your arm." She pushed her hand into her pocket, grabbing the little black ball. Without thinking she squished it in her hand, just as she'd seen William do, and withdrew her arm.

Her palm was covered in black, but it seemed to have already seeped into her skin. It didn't feel oily or sticky, and she rubbed her fingers together, trying to see if any of the mark would come off.

When it didn't, she pushed up Lincoln's shirt sleeve with her other hand, the held his wrist. She looked up at him, and was surprised to find his eyes closed, an almost peaceful look on his face.

On instinct she pressed her hand into his skin, fingers curling around the curve of his forearm. For a moment she felt nothing, and then a curious sensation formed. Not painful or uncomfortable, but a light tingling that spread across her fingers. It seemed to grow stronger and strong, until a sharp _jolt_ of power ran up her arm, and Audrey saw black.


	4. chapter 4

**If I owned anything, Audrey and Nathan would get to be happy a lot more. Like, 25% of the time. Maybe even 30%.**

**Some feedback would be greatly appreciated. :)**

* * *

_The woods were dark as she followed the well-know path, but she didn't fear whatever might be lurking behind the trees. Leaves crunched under her feet, freshly fallen in the first few weeks of autumn. Footsteps sounded behind her and she turned, the lamp she held high in her hand swinging with the movement._

_There was no one there, and she stared into the group of trees she'd passed. She pressed her lips together, turning back to continue on her way._

_Another noise rang through the forest, a clanging of sorts, followed by the shuffle of footsteps once again. This time she stopped, refusing to turn around to meet empty air again._

_"I haven't got time for your tricks." She called out, but there was no response._

_With a sigh she kept walking. The light from the lantern covered only a few feet in front of her, but she had travelled the path enough to know what was coming up ahead._

_Or so she thought. A few feet ahead of her a figure stepped out of the shadows of the trees, his face still shrouded partially in the darkness._

_She breathed a sigh of relief, lowering the light as she recognized the familiar outline._

_"Am I worth your little games?" She placed the lantern on the ground and they both were covered in the dark. She blinked a few times, her eyes struggling to see clearly. Still, she was unconcerned; she knew what the figure wanted, and it wasn't her._

_"You never know who else ventures out here."_

_She smirked, taking a few steps closer to him._

_"I don't think you have anything to worry about. Not after what you did to that poor woman…"_

The voices faded out slowly, replaced by a louder, more urgent sounding one.

"Audrey!"

Something, or someone more rather, was shaking her. Audrey realized she was laying down on a hard surface, and she no longer felt the cool night air of the forest. She opened her eyes slowly, finding herself looking up at Nathan's concerned face as he knelt over her.

"Are you alright?" He spit out the question so fast it took her a moment to process it.

She nodded, and her hand came up to her nose on reflex. There was no blood, surprisingly, and she wasn't sure how to classify what had just happened. She'd passed out, but had that been some sort of buried memory? If so, why didn't it cause the same reaction as Lucy's memories? Surely it had to be much further down than anything that occurred in 1983.

"Did it work?" She tried to sit up but Nathan pushed her back down as gently as he could, shaking his head quickly.

"I'm _fine_." She protested, eyes traveling around the room until she spotted what she was looking for. Lincoln was kneeling a little behind Nathan, and as he moved to stand up, the black handprint was clear on his arm.

Audrey let out a sigh of relief before she caught herself; did that even mean anything? What if she'd messed up somehow and gave him the wrong trouble? They were out of options at this point.

Gloria knelt down on her other side and pressed a hand to Audrey's forehead, the other reaching out to grasp her wrist, fingers finding her pulse.

Audrey gave Nathan an exasperated look but he shook his head again, looking over at the medical examiner. Gloria shown a light into her eyes and Audrey blinked rapidly, turning her head away.

"You're supposed to follow it." The older woman heaved a sigh and tried again, placing a hand on top of Audrey's head to keep her from moving. A few seconds of trailing the light with her eyes and she let her go, flicking off the light.

"She's alright." Gloria turned to Nathan with a shrug, standing up and going back to help her husband.

Nathan extended a hand and helped her up, keeping an arm wrapped around her waist even as she landed on her feet. Audrey gently slipped from his grasp, giving him another pressing look. She had a bit of a headache, but other than that she felt fine.

"Lincoln." She stepped towards the man, and the pounding in her head only grew with her movement. Maybe it wasn't bad enough for a nosebleed, but this memory seemed to have taken it's toll as well.

Nathan followed a step behind her, hand lingering on her waist, as if he was concerned she might collapse again.

Lincoln ran his fingers over the invisible mark on his forearm, his face wrinkled in confusion.

"Do you feel different?" Audrey grabbed his wrist lightly, inspecting the handprint more closely. It looked the same as the ones William had created, if that meant anything at all.

"Not really." Gloria rubbed a hand along her husband's shoulder, and Audrey once again felt remorse over what she'd had to do to this family.

"How do we know if it worked?" Ben piped up from the other side of the room, and Audrey turned to see him and his wife, still rocking the sleeping baby.

"I guess we just wait and see." She hated that she didn't have a better answer for them, but at this point there was nothing more they could do. Her trouble had either worked or it hadn't, but there was no going back now.

"Aaron won't wake for another half hour or so." Ben looked nervous, and Audrey supposed he had a reason to be. None of them knew what Aaron's next cry would do.

"Well, no point in waiting around in misery." Gloria clapped her hands together, and the others turned to face her. "Alcohol?"

Lincoln smiled broadly and leaned in to whisper something to her, and Audrey saw a chance to have a quick moment alone.

"Hey." She nudged Nathan gently, nodding off towards the adjoining room then looking back up at him.

He took her hand and let her lead them out into the hall. At the last moment she changed direction and pushed open the door out to the porch, assuming they'd have more privacy out there. The last thing she wanted was someone interrupting her trying to tell Nathan what she'd seen.

"What the hell just happened?" As soon as the door swung shut he released her hand and cupped her cheeks instead, forcing her to a stop as he peered at her intently. She wasn't sure what he was checking for, but whatever it was he seemed to find it, because he dropped her hands and took a small step back.

"I saw... Something. I remembered something." That had to be the only explanation. William had said she'd return to her original self when she troubled someone, but she was relieved to see he had been wrong. Yet something major had clearly happened, and creating a trouble seemed to have been the key to unlocking some part of her subconscious.

She struggled to begin. She didn't fully understand what she'd just experienced, and she was at a loss as to how to relay it to Nathan.

One word popped into her head, and she knew what it was instantly.

"Mara." She said reflexively, and the name felt as natural on her lips as anything else.

Nathan frowned.

"That was my name. My real name. Mara." She took a moment to savor it; finally, a real answer. A solid piece of the puzzle that was her past.

Unfortunately, the other information she'd remembered only seemed to give her more questions. _Why was she out in the woods? Who was she meeting with? Was she even in Haven?_

"I'm lost." Nathan crossed his arms, his brow furrowing. "You remembered your... Original self? Like William said?"

"No!" She was quick to dispute him, not wanting him to think the worst."No, I'm still me. I think, anyway." Audrey offered a weak smile, but he didn't seem to buy it.

"What happened then?" His tone was steely, but she recognized the edge of fear in it. He was scared for her, no doubt. Scared that she'd come out of this as someone else.

"I had a flashback, kind of. Like with Lucy's memories, but... Different somehow." She took a deep breath trying to recall everything she could about the memory, but it already seemed to be fading from her mind. "I was in the forest. It was nighttime. I was alone, at first, but I think... I think someone else came along."

Nathan nodded slowly, but his face still showed concern. Audrey reached out and rested a hand on top of his.

"This is good, right?" She gripped his fingers, hoping the contact would comfort him. "I mean, it's a start."

"Do you think it's real?"

His words took her by surprise. Now she was the one who was lost. "What?"

Nathan uncrossed his arms and she pulled back her hand, almost self-conscious, before he snatched it again, holding it tight within both of his.

"William said the two of you have this... _Connection_. So what if he's using it? Manipulating it? What it that memory's not even real?"

Audrey faltered. She hadn't even considered that William could do something like that, but she had to admit it made sense.

And yet, that would be an odd memory to fake. If he was trying to convince her to return to who she once was, why wouldn't he force a memory of the two of them on her? Wouldn't that be more in line with his agenda?

Still, she couldn't dismiss the idea. Perhaps this was just the jumping off point, a stepping stone to things to come. Maybe William knew exactly what troubling someone would do to her. Maybe she'd already been set on the path to returning to that horrible person.

She felt a shudder run through her, and Nathan squeezed her hand. She looked up at him, about to speak when a shrill cry rang through the air.

She froze automatically, her blood suddenly running cold. But as the crying sounded again, Audrey realized Nathan wasn't even reacting. He ran his thumb over her palm, his gaze still firmly fixed on her.

"Can't you hear that?" She turned to him, her heart beating frantically.

Nathan only shrugged. "What?"

She quickly glanced behind her at the house, and as suddenly as it had started the shrieking stopped. Audrey pulled open the porch door, tugging Nathan along behind her, and reentered the Harker's living room.

Lincoln stood in the center, cradling little Aaron close in his arms. The baby was settling down again, his eyes beginning to drift closed, and to her immediate the relief the three other adults in the room were still standing.

"It worked." Ben's voice was a whisper from the side of the room as he shook his head in disbelief.

Audrey took a tentative step forward, watching as Lincoln rocked the baby back and forth. "You didn't hear anything?" She questioned, waiting for the inevitable buzzing of her phone.

"Not at all." Gloria was smiling down at the child, looking far more jovial than Audrey had ever seen her. "It was like somebody pressed mute. He was squirming and crying, but there was nothing. No noise."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Audrey turned back to Nathan. Of course she had still been able to hear the cries; Lincoln's trouble wouldn't effect her. And luckily, neither would Aaron's cries.

Nathan smiled at the family as Ben gently took Aaron from Lincoln's arms, holding him tight against his chest. Audrey watched his smile drop as mother and father delightfully cooed over their child, and she felt a pang of regret. She'd bet anything he was thinking of the child they'd never get to raise, or perhaps even see again.

Thinking of James made her stomach clench and her heart hurt, and she suspected that was why she and Nathan had been so reluctant to broach the topic. Still, sooner or later she'd have to face it.

"Hey."

Nathan nudged her side, then nodded towards the small group huddled in the middle of the room. "We should probably go."

She knew he was right, they still had plenty of problems to deal with, but part of her wanted to savor this small victory for just a few moments. From here on out these happy moments would be far and few between, she feared.

Gloria looked up and met their eyes, giving them a genuine smile. She sidestepped her family, coming up to meet the detectives as they edged towards the door.

"Thank you." Audrey had only known the M.E a short time, but she was still taken aback by the emotion in her voice. "I can't say that enough, what you've done for us. For Aaron."

Audrey nodded, at a loss for what to say. She knew it still wouldn't be easy for them; for starters, Lincoln would have to be at the house all the time, ready to take care of Aaron when he was needed. But it was certainly preferably to the alternative.

"You're welcome." She smiled at the older woman. Gloria turned back to the small huddle, and Audrey felt Nathan's hand press on her back, and the two left the joyful family to celebrate.

* * *

"Well," Audrey slipped into the front seat of the Bronco, unable to stop the wide smile from crossing her face. "I'd say that was a success."

Nathan turned the car on, slowing backing out the driveway before turning to her. "Yeah, I'd definitely say that." He had been so worried about what would come of Audrey giving someone a trouble, although he'd tried his best not to show it. He couldn't imagine what this was like for her. Suddenly William had all the answers she'd needed, but the information he gave her only made her feel worse. As much as he'd told himself it wouldn't happen, he had feared William would be right, and that giving someone else a trouble would result in some horrific transformation in Audrey.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, watching as she slumped down in the seat, hair falling in her flushed face, but her eyes still beamed with her accomplishment. William had been wrong, that much was clear.

He was still concerned about why she'd fainted, but she seemed to have bounced back from that quickly. He didn't know how her memory flashbacks had worked with Lucy. Regrettably they had occurred during a time where their relationship was at it's weakest, and he'd left her to deal with that on her own.

He couldn't change the times he'd left her alone, but he could make up for it now.

"You wanna go home?" Nathan relished the fact that he could call her apartment _home_. He'd spent nearly every night there since they'd started sleeping together, and she certainly didn't appear to mind.

"Yeah." Audrey nodded eagerly, leaning her head against the window. "I'm exhausted."

He didn't know if giving someone a trouble was a particularly intensive exercise, but he figured she definitely deserved some rest.

They reached her apartment soon enough, and as he pulled into the space in front of the Gull, Nathan let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Everything with the Harkers had happened so fast, but somehow it felt like weeks since he'd been woken up by Audrey this morning.

Audrey turned and gave him a tired smile, pushing her hair behind her ears. "Ready?" She asked, and he merely nodded.

The two trekked up the stairs slowly, Audrey leaning into him as the wind ran through them. She shivered, and he quickly ushered her inside, the door swinging shut behind them.

She had her jacket off in a flash, making her way toward the bed as her shirt quickly followed her jacket, falling on the ground. Nathan tried to avoid staring, but as she pulled on a tank top and changed out of her jeans, she caught him sneaking several looks at her legs.

"You're so predictable, Wournos." Audrey sent him a smirk, collapsing onto her back on the bed. "C'mere."

Nathan chuckled lightly. "It's 6:30."

She propped herself up on her elbows, frowning. "Really? I thought like eleven, for sure."

He crept closer to the bed, tucking his hands into his pockets as he assumed an awkward stance, hovering over her. "You wanna talk?"

She shut her eyes firmly. "I want to sleep."

He sighed, but sat down carefully on the edge of the bed anyway. Audrey leaned back once more, curling her legs up against her body. She looked so small laying there, and he couldn't resist reaching out to brush some of her hair away from her face. She blinked up at him sleepily.

"You sure you're feeling alright?" He whispered, his hand trailing down to rest on her hip.

"_Yes_." She stifled a yawn, closing her eyes once more.

"Okay." Nathan leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, pushing off the bed as he stood up. He turned to the dresser to grab the sweatpants she'd allowed him to store there. After redressing he began to lift up the edge of the blanket to join her, but saw that Audrey was already out, her breathing constant and steady as she remained curled up in the middle of the mattress.

He knew better than to try and move her, as small as she was she refused to be budged when she was sleeping, so he simply laid down beside her. It was stiff and uncomfortable as he stretched out, but Audrey nestled closer and he wrapped an arm around her waist, resting his head on top of hers.

He didn't feel particularly tired, but even as he heard the muffled sounds from the restaurant below, and the familiarity of Audrey's breathing, he found himself drifting off.

* * *

_The sun shown down on the open meadow, the grass soft beneath her head. Her eyes were closed, and someone's strong voice rang through the open air. They were reading a story, but she wasn't really listening, instead content to doze off in the calm summer air. However, her tutor didn't seem to agree._

_"Are you listening to me?"_

_She shook her head stiffly, keeping her eyes closed._

_He sighed and shut the book with a bang, startling her into sitting up. She glanced over at him, meeting his disapproving eyes with a smirk._

_"Well, I'm sorry your book is so boring."_

_"The Bible, Mara. It's called the Bible." He feigned annoyance but she knew he wasn't truly upset, his eyes still shown with amusement despite the hard line of his mouth._

_"Why don't you read me something interesting?" She reclined back on her elbows, tilting her head as she surveyed their surroundings. A group of trees started a few yards away from where they'd set up camp, and soon enough that turned into the first line of the woods. She squinted into the forest but couldn't see anything clearly through the thick trees._

_"You're lucky you're beautiful, you know." His voice broke through her studies, and she turned to watch him bury his nose in the book again, refusing to meet her gaze._

_She settled back down in the grass with a smile. "That's what they tell me."_

_He continued reading anyway, picking up wherever he'd left off. She let his words wash over her but didn't take any of them in, focusing instead on the sudden feeling swelling inside of her. She felt good, warm, happy. Loved._

* * *

Audrey woke up to a loud crashing and reached out for her gun, scrambling on her bedside table for a second before realizing where the noise had originated from.

Nathan guiltily sunk to his knees in the kitchen, picking up the pot he'd knocked over from the counter. Her eyes flitted to the windows, noting how dark it had become since she'd fallen asleep. She felt a bit disorientated, whether from her odd dream or from being woken up so jarringly, she couldn't tell.

"What happened?" She whispered, her voice hoarse from disuse.

"Duke called." Nathan crossed the room, coming to a stop in front of her. "He said Jennifer found something new with that book, they need to meet us."

Audrey groaned, rubbing at her eyes. "Right now?"

He shrugged. "Sounds like it."

She pushed herself to sit up, crossed her arms in a childish pout. "Fine. But as soon as we figure out that magic book, we're coming right back here to sleep."

"Yes, ma'am." Nathan grinned, bending over to give her a quick kiss. He stroked her cheek gently then he moved away, turning to the dresser. She started to pat down what was surely a complete mess of her hair, and he snickered. "You're beautiful, you know." He offered, and she rolled her eyes good-naturedly before his words struck something inside of her. She closed her eyes suddenly, trying to hold onto what remained of her dream.

But of course it wasn't a dream, it was much more than that.

Had giving Lincoln Harker a trouble somehow triggered something inside of her? Somehow she knew, she _felt_ it, deep down inside, that that dream had been another memory. One of Mara's, obviously.

She tried to conjure up the scene again, but found she couldn't. The images had faded but that _feeling_ remained, that sense of happiness that had seemed so foreign in her memory.

"Audrey?" Nathan turned back to her and she nodded weakly, trying to wave away his concerns.

"I had a… Weird dream." She didn't really know what else to tell him, not when she was having so much trouble figuring it out herself.

There had been someone else in the dream, of that she was sure. A man. His face had disappeared from her mind, and he was nothing more than a figure. Not William, though, she surely would have recognized _him_. And something in her said it wasn't the same man from the forest either. Which meant she now had _two_ mystery men to look into. Mara had been a busy girl, apparently.

Nathan looked at a loss for words too. "You wanna talk about it?" He offered, reaching out for her hand.

"No." Her answer came too quickly, and she regretted it. "I mean- Not now. We should go meet Duke and Jennifer." She slid off the bed, stretching out her arms even as she felt Nathan's gaze on her back.

"You okay?"

God, it seemed like he never stopped asking that. No, she wasn't _okay._ She'd allowed herself to bask in the victory of saving the Harkers for a little bit, but she still knew they had dozens of other problems to face. William was still out there, and since this hadn't gone his way, she feared to think of what he would do next.

And, of course, there was Jennifer and this book, her mysterious connection to the barn. Audrey couldn't figure out her role in all of this, how she fit into the puzzle.

But she knew Duke, she knew he wouldn't have called this late if it wasn't something important. Perhaps this would finally give her a real answer, instead of fifty more questions.

"I'm fine." She gave a tight smile, turning away from him. "Let's go."


	5. chapter 5

**Sorry this took so long! It's been a very busy week for me.**

**I'd love to hear what you guys think so far.**

* * *

Audrey didn't bother getting changed before leaving the apartment, but she snagged her coat off the rack on the way out the door. The temperature dropped significantly at night, and although she would have much preferred to stay snuggled in bed, Nathan had made it sound like Duke's call was urgent.

The dock was silent as they headed towards the Cape Rouge, and Audrey turned to stare out over the dark water. There was an almost eerie feel to the whole scene, and she felt a shiver run up her spine.

A figure was leaning over the railing, just barely discernible through the dark, and as they stepped aboard Audrey recognized who it was. Jennifer had her arms crossed, and she seemed to be peering into the darkness, looking for something.

"Aren't you cold?" Audrey approached the other woman, tugging her own jacket tighter around her shoulders.

Jennifer turned in surprise to face the duo. "Wasn't really thinking about it." She offered, shrugging slightly. She gave them a tight smile, then gestured behind her. "Inside?"

Jennifer seemed spooked, which meant it was likely something serious. Audrey and Nathan followed her down the stairs, to where the only light was shining in Duke's kitchen. Jennifer slid onto the bench seat surrounding the small table, snatching up the book that lay in the center. She crossed her legs but began tapping her foot against the leg of the table nervously.

Nathan sat next to her, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table. Audrey could tell he seemed tense, although she certainly couldn't blame him. Jennifer stayed silent, the only sound her foot repeatedly hitting the metal. She seemed like she was waiting for something before she told them just what was going on.

"Where's Duke?" Audrey asked as she sat opposite them, her gaze drifting to Jennifer, peering down at her book. Her hands were clutching the thin paperback, fingers running along the edge of the pages.

As if on cue Duke entered from the side room, balancing 3 mugs in his hands. He placed them in the center of the table before dropping down next to Audrey, forcing her over a few inches.

She reached out and grabbed the handle of the mug, raising it to her lips and taking a small sip.

Coffee, thank god. She eagerly took a few gulps before recognizing the distinct flavor of something else- _Baileys_. At least Duke was consistent.

Across the table Nathan didn't bother with his own cup, focusing still on Jennifer, who seemed to be trying to fold in on herself.

Duke reached over and poked her leg firmly, giving her a sly grin. "Nice getup. Did I wake you?"

Audrey swatted at his hand and ignored the question, turning once more to face Jennifer. "What's up?" She asked, setting the mug back on the table once she'd nearly drained it.

Jennifer looked up at the three expectant faces, her eyes wide.

"Okay, um, I'll start at the beginning." She cracked open the book, flattening the cover against the table and showing what appeared as a blank front page. "This would be a lot easier if you guys could all see it, but there's the Guard symbol." She placed a finger in the center, tapping the page lightly. "And it moves. I couldn't figure it out at first, but depending on where the book is, it points in a different direction. But, I realized it's pointing at the same place, like a compass."

"And where's that?" Nathan leaned closer towards her, his tone expectant. Jennifer pursed her lips and gave him a hard stare. He recoiled minutely, and Audrey fought a grin.

"That took a while. It disappears off and on, I couldn't figure it out." She ran a hand over the page gently. "Duke said Vince's tattoo did the same, so I talked to him about it." She paused again, taking a breath.

That must have been what Dave mentioned earlier, Audrey reasoned. She couldn't remember if she'd ever seen Vince's Guard tattoo before, but the ones she _had_ seen definitely hadn't been mobile. If Vince could make his tattoo disappear, did that mean he was connected to this book too? Connected to Jennifer? Somehow her list of questions just continued to grow.

After a moment Jennifer looked up again. "And he was right, the symbols were in sync. But Vince said his had never moved like this before, so I thought that meant it was something new." Her nervousness began to lessen, her tone growing more confident with every word. "So I just… Followed where it was pointing."

"Where?" Nathan repeated, and Jennifer rolled her eyes.

"You're very impatient, you know that?"

Nathan simply raised his eyebrows.

Jennifer continued on with a sigh. "The lighthouse, way down by the beach. The symbol grew stronger as I got closer."

Audrey frowned. The lighthouse? That didn't make any sense. The book instructed them to find the heart of Haven, according to Jennifer, but Audrey had been in that lighthouse, and there was next to nothing there.

Beside her, Duke sat up straighter. "Did Vince come?"

Jennifer shook her head. "No, I figured it would be best to go alone."

"What?" Duke exclaimed, leaning across the table towards her. "What were you thinking? Why didn't you tell me?"

Jennifer sighed, her gaze fixed on the book in her hands rather than on him. "If something had happened, I didn't-"

"If something had happened, you would have been by yourself!" He cut her off quickly, shaking his head in disbelief. "What if William had been there? Or what if something went wrong?"

She finally raised her gaze, meeting Duke with a pleading look. "Nothing did go wrong. I'm fine. Can I finish explaining this?"

He sunk back into his seat with a groan, and Audrey felt the uncomfortable energy hanging in the air.

"Will everybody please stop interrupting me?" Jennifer complained, turning the next page of the book rather forcefully. "_Anyway_, I couldn't see anything at first but there was a trap door under some stuff, so I opened it up and went down to take a look-"

"Alone?" Audrey spit out the word before she even realized it, and found herself suddenly on the receiving end of Jennifer's glare.

"You too?" The other woman asked, and Audrey pressed her lips together, sinking down further in her seat.

"Yes, _still _alone. I waited a bit, I couldn't hear anything down there. But it…" Jennifer trailed off for a moment, shaking her head. "You gotta see it. I mean, that's why I called you guys, it… There was this whole area, underneath the lighthouse. Like a… I don't know, I can't even describe it. But there was the Guard symbol on the floor, it was _huge_. And the four people, I think they're like four points. People are supposed to stand there, you know, and then something happens."

Jennifer ceased her rambling, and the company was silent for a long moment. Audrey tried to think of what this could all mean, but she was at a loss.

"What happens?" She asked softly, and Jennifer shrugged in response.

"Your guess is as good as mine. But…" The woman paused, uncertainty creeping back into her voice. "I think I'm supposed to be there. I mean, I'm supposed to be one of those people. I could _feel_ it, you know?"

Duke breathed a sigh, and Audrey glanced up to meet Nathan's eyes across the table. He looked conflicted, as if he was weighing two difficult options in his head.

"We should go there." He spoke suddenly, and three heads turned to meet him. "We don't know what that place is for, William could be using it. We should find out what it is before he does something else."

Jennifer nodded and began to respond, but Audrey wasn't listening. An apprehensive feeling was building in her stomach. If Jennifer had felt some sort of _pull_ at this place, wouldn't it make sense that she would feel the same? She didn't want to have any more blackouts, and a part of her still feared that what William had said would come true. If she remembered any more of Mara's life, she might lose control and then... _What would happen?_ Would Audrey Parker be wiped away? Would she automatically turn back into Mara?

"Parker?"

She glanced up to meet Nathan's inquisitive eyes, shaking her head slightly to clear her runaway thoughts. "Hmm?"

"We're gonna go check it out." Jennifer stated, fingers still gripping the book tightly. "The lighthouse, I mean."

Audrey nodded quickly. "Okay. Right, good plan."

As they all stood up, Duke reached for Jennifer's hand and whispered something in her ear. Audrey watched the other woman shake her head before Nathan nudged her arm, pulling her off to the side.

"You okay?" He pushed his hands into his jacket pockets, his face displaying clear concern. "You were pretty quiet."

She sighed, pressing her lips together tight. There wasn't nearly enough time to tell him about the other memory she'd experienced, and she didn't want to voice her worries about what would happen in front of Duke and Jennifer, who clearly had enough on their plates.

"Just tired." She smiled at him, but his expression didn't change.

"Audrey," He began, brow furrowed, but Duke cleared his throat behind them, and Audrey spun to face him.

"You two okay?" He asked, and she nodded before Nathan could open his mouth.

"Yup. All set." Audrey zipped up her jacket, turning to look at Jennifer. "Should we all drive?"

"Oh, it's not too far. We can walk." She glanced up at Duke for a moment, and he gave her the slightest smile before she looked away again. "Hope you guys don't mind the cold."

Duke chuckled, and as the two of them headed up the stairs to the deck, she looked over at Nathan. His face was blank now, and as he tried to brush by her she reached out and grasped his hand.

"Hey," She gripped his fingers tight, noting how surprisingly chilly they were. He was lucky he couldn't feel the frigid temperatures, she thought. "I'm fine. I promise."

For a moment he just blinked at her, but then his expression softened and he tugged her closer.

"I know. I just worry about you sometimes."

Audrey couldn't help but smile at that, and she leaned forward to place a quick kiss on his lips.

"I've noticed." She teased, and the corners of his mouth barely curved up.

"Hey!" A shout sounded from above them, and Audrey stepped away from him quickly, peering up the stairs to where Duke was leaning down to see them. "You coming?"

* * *

Nathan regretted his suggestion to visit the lighthouse as soon as they set foot inside it. It wasn't the pristine, touristy one that appeared on postcards. Rather it was old, and if he couldn't see the light shining he'd swear it hadn't been used in years. The paint on the outside was chipped, and both he and Duke had had to pry open the old wooden door in order to get inside. He couldn't even imagine how Jennifer had managed it earlier.

Still, all of that seemed like nothing when they stepped inside and Jennifer suggested they go down the invisible trap door that she alone could see.

"I swear, this is what I did earlier." She crouched down and tugged on something, and low and behold Nathan watched the small wooden door become visible as she lifted it up. She looked up at the rest of them expectantly, but no one moved.

"Well?" Jennifer looked down the hatch, nodding to herself. "Come on then." She began to descend the rickety stairs, sparing one last look up at her three companions.

Duke heaved a sigh and followed her, and just as his head disappeared Nathan turned to Audrey.

"You wanna go first?" He asked, and she shook her head, smirking at him.

"Nah, I think you should do the honors."

He chuckled softly and carefully set one foot on the first step, hearing a loud creak as it accepted his weight.

"Well. This isn't creepy at all."

Audrey let out a laugh, and he heard her footsteps come up to the edge of the opening.

"Hurry up, Wuornos. I got places to be."

Nathan smiled to himself, taking the rest of the steps as quickly as he could without losing his footing. The wood was old, and even as he set foot on the solid ground he still didn't feel completely stable.

Nathan drew in a breath as he took in his new surroundings. They seemed to be in some sort of a cave, not unlike the ones he knew littered the edge of the beach by the water. He'd never seen any quite like this, however. The cavernous area was huge, and just as Jennifer had described, it was adorned with a huge replica of the Guard symbol in the center of the ground.

"Wow." He breathed, and Duke nodded his agreement.

"This place looks ancient." He ran his hand over the wall, causing tiny bits of rock to crumble beneath his fingers. "How has no one found it before?"

"I don't think anyone can." Audrey's voice sounded behind him, and Nathan realized he was still blocking the bottom of the stairs. He quickly stepped to the side, but she stayed stock still, eyes wide as she took it all in.

"Jennifer's the only one who can find this place. I couldn't even see the door." She walked towards the giant symbol, pausing just before she stepped on one of the four points. She seemed transfixed by it, her eyes traveling over the shape.

"What am I supposed to do?" Jennifer looked down at the book in her hands again, peering intently at the cover.

"Open some door?" Duke offered, coming over to stand beside her.

Jennifer reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, slumping against the hard wall. "Yeah, but how? Do I just snap my fingers and it magically appears?"

Audrey's head turned suddenly, and Nathan watched as she seemed to come back to herself.

"I think you have to use the book." She crossed the space to join Jennifer and Duke, then tapped the plastic cover. "If the book lead you here, than it has to be connected to this place in some way."

Jennifer glanced up hesitatingly, gnawing at her bottom lip. "What do I do with it then?" She held the book out for Audrey's inspection, but she pushed it back.

"I don't know, but it's gotta be you."

Jennifer looked panic-stricken, and Audrey reached out a hand, resting it lightly on her arm.

"_Hey_, you're gonna be fine." She was using the calm, soothing tone she reserved for talking down the troubled, and Nathan found himself smiling as she reassured the other woman.

William couldn't have been more wrong about her. Whoever Mara was, any sense of evil inside of Audrey was obviously gone. All she wanted was to help people, to heal Haven. And no matter what William did, Audrey clearly wasn't going anywhere.

"Alright then." Jennifer cleared her throat, taking a deep breath. "If the symbol's what lead us here, than maybe that's where the door is." She gestured to the large design on the floor, and brushed past Audrey to approach it carefully. She stopped short of the inscribed mark and knelt down, brushing her fingers over the ground.

Audrey followed slowly, coming to stand a few steps to the side of Jennifer. On instinct Nathan crept closer, but kept his distance from the circular symbol. Somehow it gave off an unfamiliar energy, and he swore he could _almost_ feel it prickling on the back of his neck.

"Okay." Jennifer's voice was a whisper and she rose to her feet slowly, looking down at the book once more before extending her arm, holding it firmly over the symbol.

For a moment, nothing at all happened. Nathan saw Audrey's face wrinkle, watched Duke take a step towards Jennifer, but he didn't get very far. Just as he set his foot down the symbol began to move, rotating in a clockwise position. Duke froze stock still, and the four of them watched as the mark continued to spin, gradually picking up speed.

All of a sudden there was a loud bang, like something cracking open and the floor began to rumble. The walls seemed to shake, and even as Nathan put out his hand to steady himself he sensed he was in danger of crashing to the floor.

He tried to shout for Jennifer to stop but the noise was growing louder, and she couldn't hear him.

The symbol ceased it's spinning and in an instant fell apart, splitting straight down the middle. As the two pieces shifted to the side something began to come out of them; a blue mist, swirling nearly a foot off the ground, running over the floor and collecting at their ankles.

Nathan couldn't make out what was beneath the mist, but he watched Audrey take a step towards the growing opening.

"Stop!" He yelled, but still Jennifer seemed frozen, holding out her hand stiffly.

"_Jennifer! Stop it!_" Duke's voice joined his own, but neither seemed to make much difference. The noise was deafening now, and the shaking of the floor sent Nathan to his knees. He shut his eyes briefly, and as quickly as everything had started it stopped.

He opened his eyes to see Audrey still standing over the now closed symbol, her eyes staring straight ahead, face blank.

Jennifer was laying on the ground, Duke sprawled half on top of her. She shook her head like she was clearing it, and he slowly pushed himself to his feet, offering Jennifer a hand once he'd stood up.

"What the hell was that?" Nathan helped himself up, keeping a hand on the wall even as he regained his footing. He quickly crossed over to Audrey, and as he placed a hand on her back she jolted, turning towards him with confusion in her eyes.

"You okay?" He questioned, but Jennifer's voice behind them cut him off.

"You didn't have to _tackle_ me." She complained, and Duke threw his hands in the air.

"_Seriously?_ Am I the only one who saw that? That was creepy as all get out, right?" He looked over at Nathan, his face incredulous. "Come on!"

Jennifer shuddered and quickly tucked the book back into her coat, wrapping her arms around herself. "What _was_ that?"

No one had a reasonable answer for her. Nathan glanced around the cave but it looked just as it had five minutes ago; no trace of the blue smoke, no signs of anything amiss.

Beside him, Audrey shut her eyes tight and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"You okay?" He repeated, and she nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I just- That was probably a bad idea." She looked back down at the symbol, and Nathan followed her gaze. There were barely any marks on it, let alone a giant crack in the middle.

"At least we know what the door is, though." Jennifer piped up, rocking back on her heels. "That's something."

_Yeah, a monumentally bad something._ Nathan was glad he couldn't feel the headache that was most certainly building in that moment.

"Let's get out of here." Audrey spoke up again, turning her back on the mysterious mark.

Duke and Jennifer murmured their agreement and lead the way up the stairs. It was still dark out as they stepped outside, but Nathan could just barely see the sun peeking out over the horizon. They must have spent much more time down there than he had thought.

"Back to the Cape Rouge?" Duke shivered as he posed the question, his breath still visible in the night air. "I think we could all use a round of post-otherworldly door-opening drinks."

Nathan had to admit he could definitely go for anything alcoholic right then, but Audrey shook her head.

"I wanna go talk to William."

"What? Why?" Nathan knew he sounded like a broken record, but sometimes Audrey just seemed determined to confuse him. "What is he going to do?"

"I don't know, but I- I need to talk to him. Now."

Jennifer shoved her hands further into her pockets and shuffled her feet back and forth, her breath creating puffs in the air.

"You guys go ahead, I'll meet you all later." Audrey gave Duke a pointed look, and he turned away with a nod, ushering Jennifer along with him.

Nathan waited for a moment until they were out of earshot. "I'm coming with you."

"Nathan, please-"

"No, this guy's crazy. Actually crazy. And whatever this is about, you can tell me." He grabbed her hand and let out a sharp breath at how cold it was. "_Please_, Audrey."

She squeezed his fingers weakly, and finally looked up at him. "Okay. But we should get moving. If I stand out here any longer I'm gonna be a popsicle."

He cracked a brief smile then began to walk with her down the pathway, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her in tight against him.

"Do you know where he is?" Nathan felt her relax into him, her head nestling into his shoulder.

"No. I imagine he'll find me now."

Her words made his stomach clench. _What did that mean?_ Was William going to come after her? As they reached the end of the path he stopped, stepping away and placing his hands on her shoulders. She met his eyes reluctantly, and he could tell something was wrong.

"What happened down there?" He asked, fingers digging into her jacket.

She took a shaky breath before answering. "When the door opened I…. I saw something." Audrey's tone was so fearful he instantly wanted to wrap her in his arms and make sure she was okay. She closed her eyes tight, like she was trying to conjure up the image again. "Nathan, I-" She cut off and he released her shoulders, drawing her closer towards him. The wind blew around them, casting her hair in her face, and as she reached up to brush it away he saw tears building in her eyes. What could make her feel this scared, he wondered. _What could shake her like this?_

She looked back up at him, and her voice shook as she continued. "I saw her. Me. _Mara._"


	6. chapter 6

**I know this has taken forever, but I've had a busy few weeks. Sadly I still have a real life and am unable to devote all of my time to thinking about this show, although I still try.**

* * *

Audrey's fingers clutched at his shoulders, and for just a minute Nathan thought he saw something wild in her eyes. Something unfamiliar. But she blinked it away and he pulled her closer, folding her in his arms. He had a tendency to forget how small she was, with the way she carried herself and the strength she projected. But he had several good inches on her, and as she rested her head on his chest she seemed so little. Nathan had the sudden urge to pick her up and carry her away from all of this, to tell her over and over that everything was going to be okay.

For a few moments they stood stock still, the sky beginning to lighten around them. Audrey sniffled lightly and he realized she must be crying those built-up tears. He rubbed soothing circles on her back, pulling her further into his embrace.

The wind blew through the both of them and she shivered, her hands coming up to push away from him just slightly.

"I'm sorry." She murmured, tilting her head away as she rubbed at her eyes. Nathan wisely pretended not to notice, and instead tucked some of her flyaway hair behind her ears.

"Don't be." He rubbed at her arm, and Audrey gave the barest smile.

"Let's get out of the cold." She offered, slipping from his grasp and nodding back towards the beach.

He missed her warmth the second she broke contact. He couldn't feel the loss exactly, but it had been there and then it was gone, and he grabbed her hand as she headed back down the pathway.

She was silent on the walk back to the _Rouge_. Nathan wanted to ask about what she'd seen, what had happened down there, but he didn't want to press her. Audrey had a tendency to play the hero and carry her burdens on her own, and sometimes he just wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. He loved her, but she was stubborn as anything. Perhaps she was still worried about what he would think of her. She'd finally come around to confiding in him about what William had told her, but that had taken days. He didn't want her to think she had to deal with all of this on her own.

As they rounded the corner of the dock and Duke's boat came back into view, Audrey tugged on his hand.

"Let's go back to my place." She turned to face him and Nathan could see that her eyes were still rimmed red.

"You're not gonna talk to William?" Avoiding a trip to go see her psycho supposed ex was by all means fine by him, but she'd seemed so insistent just a few moments ago.

Audrey shrugged, and even that small movement seemed sluggish. "I don't want to deal with that now, I just want to go home."

"Okay." He let her lead him back to the Bronco, still parked nearby. If she didn't want to share this with Duke and Jennifer that was fine, but he hoped she'd open up to him at least.

She dropped his hand as she crossed over to the passenger's seat and pulled open the door. He hopped in after her, starting up the car in silence. It was a short drive back to her apartment, and had they not been woken at 4 in the morning they probably wouldn't have bothered driving. Even so, the brief minutes in the cab of the car felt like they stretched on and on as neither of them spoke. Audrey hunched down further in the seat, her arms crossed tight over her chest. He stole glances over at her every few seconds, trying to read her face, but she'd adapted a stony look again, staring straight out ahead.

As soon as he pulled into the Gull's empty parking lot once more she got out of the truck, the door swinging shut with more force than was probably necessary.

He followed her as she hurried up the steps, not bothering to look back at him. The sun had fully risen now, and as he turned to glance out over the water, Nathan could just barely make out the lighthouse sitting at the end of the beach. From this far away it looked the same as it always had, but he knew something unsettling had just occurred there.

He pulled open the door to find Audrey furiously tugging off her boots and abandoning her jacket on the floor. He waited until she flopped back down on the bed before shuffling closer.

"Are you gonna talk to me?" He tried to keep his tone level, but she could probably sense his concern anyway. He wasn't _angry_, just upset that she was still holding out on him. Even after what she'd told him yesterday, even after how he'd tried to reassure her, still she felt…. _What_, exactly? Scared? Worried? Guilty?

Audrey lifted her head from the mattress, and he noticed the blotchy spots still on her cheeks. The desire to wrap her in his arms and never let go arose again, but he knew he had to tackle the problem at hand first.

"I'm sorry." She used the same sorrowful tone as earlier, and Nathan shuffled closer to sink down onto the edge of the bed. "I'm not trying to shut you out. I promise." She pushed herself to sit up and reached out for his hand. "All of this is just a lot to deal with, and I…" Audrey sighed, her thumb beginning to rub a soft pattern over his hand.

He shifted closer, grabbing for her other hand. A small smile barely crossed her face as she stared down at her entwined fingers, but it was quickly gone.

"What did you see?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, and her hand ceased moving within his own.

"It wasn't like I _saw_ it, exactly. I could feel it. Feel being her." Audrey opened her eyes again, but she gazed down into her lap. "It wasn't a memory, it was just…" She trailed off, shaking her head slightly.

Nathan kept silent, watching as she tried to recall whatever had happened down in the cave. He just wanted to know why she'd been so frightened, and why she now needed to consult William.

He didn't want to pressure her for anything, though, so he counted the slow seconds before she continued.

"When I gave Lincoln Harker a trouble, something happened to me. I felt this… I don't know, this kind of power. All over. And then I passed out." She seemed to draw in on herself, arms wrapping around her middle.

Nathan remembered the panic he'd felt as he watched her collapse at the Harker's. He was glad things had worked out for that family, but truth be told all he'd been worried about in the moment was making sure she came out of it all okay.

"You said you had that flashback, right?"

Audrey nodded. "Yeah. But that wasn't all. I think I had another one, later. After I fell asleep I had this dream, but it wasn't actually a dream, you know? It was another memory, I know it was."

"Of Mara's?" He tried to think of what she'd been like when he'd woken her hours earlier. He'd attributed it to be forced out of bed at such an early hour, but clearly he was wrong. How had he missed that something more was wrong?

"Yeah." She squeezed his hand gently, as if she knew what he was thinking, and he glanced back up at her.

She moved closer to him on the bed, and Nathan saw the same unfamiliar glint in her eyes, as if she was contemplating some wild action. He cleared his throat before asking the question burning through his mind.

"What happened in it?"

Audrey's eyes darted to the side, and her tone seemed to shift as she tried to recall the memory. "I was outside, somewhere. Somebody else was there, I can't remember what we talked about, but-"

"William?"

Her focus snapped back to him and she shook her head quickly. "No, it wasn't him. But I was happy. I _felt_ happy, I mean. I could feel it even after I woke up."

Nathan didn't know what to make of that, although he supposed it was preferable to her relaying a pleasant memory with William.

"Was that what happened in the lighthouse?" He asked quietly, and she shook her head again.

"No, not exactly." She tucked her legs underneath her, sitting up a bit straighter, more focused now. "That wasn't like a memory, or anything. When Jennifer opened the door, I had that feeling again. The same feeling from when I troubled Lincoln Harker. It was so much stronger though, like it'd been magnified or something." She paused and drew in a deep breath, her eyes locking on his. "And I _liked_ it. It felt good. And…. And _right_. I wanted it to happen again, even though I knew… I knew it could only happen if I did that to someone else. If I hurt someone else." She dropped her head and brought up a hand to rub at her eyes once more. Nathan couldn't tell if she was crying again or not but he gripped her hand tightly.

Now he understood her fear, and perhaps even the uncertainty he'd seen on her face. She was worried she'd turn back into the same person who'd created the troubles. Nathan didn't know what to think of Mara, but he imagined she had to have been the polar opposite of Audrey. She had hurt people; Audrey had healed them. Whatever William thought, and whatever doubts she herself might have, Nathan knew Audrey's good nature couldn't be undone with a few memories of evil deeds.

After a moment he cleared his throat. "I guess I should cancel our picnic in the lighthouse, then."

It took her a second to raise her head, but she gave him a real smile for the first time all morning.

"Probably a good call." She laid back down and he joined her, wrapping his arm around her stomach and resting his head atop hers. As he brought his legs up onto the bed she made a loud noise of protest, pushing him away.

"Shoes!" She complained, nudging at his feet. Nathan rolled his eyes but complied, slipping off his shoes before rejoining her.

"Are you still worried now?"

Audrey sighed, resting her head against his arm. "I just bought a new sheet set I don't want you messing it up yet."

"You know what I mean." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and he felt her sigh into his neck.

"Yeah, I'm still worried. I don't know what's going to happen next, with William, with whatever's happening to me…" She yawned widely, her face scrunching up before she continued. "I don't know if I'm ever going to _not_ be drop dead tired."

Nathan smiled softly, wrapping his arm more firmly around her waist. "Get some more sleep. We can talk more later."

She mumbled half a response, but she was out in just a few minutes.

Nathan still felt wired off the adrenaline from what had happened in the lighthouse, and now his mind was whirling with all Audrey had revealed. He knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep, but at least this gave him some time to think things out.

And it was always nice to have half a second to watch Audrey be at peace. She was so full of action and ideas all the time, but she seemed so calm when she slept, it was nice to see.

She was also pretty cute when she slept, which was always reason enough.

* * *

_The trees came into view first; tall oaks, branches stretching towards the sky. She'd never seen trees like that before. So big, so beautiful._

_The grass was soft beneath her bare feet, soft and bright green. It, too, was beautiful. Wasn't everything beautiful here? Didn't she care for it all?_

_Her mind tried to whisper that no, she didn't, she didn't care for anything. She didn't care for anyone. But she already knew that to be a lie. She didn't hate it here. Not anymore._

_There was a crackle behind her and she turned as if in slow-motion, her skirt ruffling with the movement._

_He stood confident before her, that same smile etched on his face. Defiant, in a way. Challenging._

_"Hello." She couldn't help the nervous feeling twisting in her stomach. It spread through her body, to her fingers and toes, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant._

_"Hello." He repeated as he stepped closer, hands coming to rest on her waist. "Are you lost, miss?"_

_Her brain seemed to spin with him so close to her, and as she tried to think of a response he surged forward and kissed her. She rose up on her toes to meet him, and even as they broke apart she stayed pressed flush against him._

_"Yes, I think I am." She could nearly feel his heart beating as they stood this close, and she rested her hand over his chest gently._

_"I'm sure I can help you find you way back to town." He gave her a broad smile and she bit her lip, trying to hide her own grin._

_"I certainly hope so." She was happy to play along with his little game, she had all day, all week, however long he wanted. However long they could have._

_The scene changed abruptly, and before she realized it he had faded away into nothing. She was alone once more._

_All of a sudden she couldn't quite recall who it was she'd just been speaking to. She'd known him in the moment, but he'd disappeared and now she couldn't even picture him. She couldn't even remember where they'd been._

_Now she stood in an empty room, with boarded up windows and doors. There was a solitary light in the ceiling, but much of the room was shrouded in darkness. She felt cold; gone was the happy feeling of the previous moment._

_"I was wondering what would come back to you first."_

_A voice rang through the room, loud and clear, but she couldn't find the speaker. She spun around but she still appeared to be alone._

_"I gotta say, I am a little surprised. But I can fix it, don't even worry."_

_Something clicked in her head, and as a figure finally emerged from the shadows she knew who it would be._

_"How are you doing this?"_

_William gave her a sly smile. "Oh, come on. You know." He stepped forward and she felt fear creep along her spine._

_"You opened the door. I felt it. I felt you." He extended a hand and she retreated, moving into the darkness._

_"You can't undo this. What's happening to you isn't going to stop."_

_She tried to find something to hold onto but the room seemed bare, save for the two of them._

_"How do you know?" Her voice sounded so small, so far from what it had been just minutes before._

_"Because we built this system together." William sighed. "We shouldn't have this conversation here."_

_As she stepped further and further back into the dark his voice faded away, until there was nothing but silence and blackness._

* * *

Audrey awoke with a start, her chest heaving as she drew in gasping breaths. She pushed herself to sit up, drawing her knees up.

Nathan sat up quickly beside her, reaching out to touch her cheek, resting his hand over her forehead before pulling it back.

"What happened?" His eyes were wide, his face displaying obvious concern. She took a few more calming breaths, trying to get her thoughts straight.

_What the hell was that?_ It had seemed like another of Mara's memories, but then… Something had changed.

_William_. Somehow he was communicating with her? It probably had something to do with their connection that he was always going on about. Whatever that thing was, it was giving her a hell of a lot of trouble.

"Parker?"

She turned to Nathan, her brain still trying to make sense of whatever had just occurred.

"I gotta talk to William. And I know where to find him."


	7. chapter 7

**So this chapter has a lot of Audrey but I promise there's a lot more Nathan coming up soon.**

**Thanks again for the reviews! You guys keep me going forward. :)**

* * *

Audrey felt as if she was moving in a haze. She changed out of her sweatpants and pulled on her boots in an automatic motion, stopping only when she realized Nathan was still sitting on the bed, watching her carefully.

"Something wrong?" She grabbed her jacket off of the chair where she'd flung it hours earlier, slipping into the sleeves carefully.

Nathan shook his head slightly, his features slipping into a frown. "I don't know. I don't know what's going on with you." His words made her pause in her motions, and she came to a stand still at the foot of the bed. "One minute you need to talk to William, the next you don't want anything to do with him, now you want to go see him again?"

Audrey pursed her lips, trying to slow the runaway train of thoughts inside her head. She could still feel the prickles along her spine that the dream had raised, the uncomfortable feeling of being watched even when she knew they were alone. But something inside of her was screaming not to leave Nathan behind, not to shove him aside even in pursuit of her own answers.

"I've told you everything." She sunk onto the edge of the bed, the old mattress creaking with her weight in an unfamiliar place. "I think William can explain what's going on, why I'm having these flashbacks, or memories, or whatever they are."

"What happened just now?" His voice was gravely with sleep, but she could recognize the concern in it. She wondered if she'd been moving about as she slept, as she had when she'd been having the nightmares.

"I think I was remembering something else, but William interrupted it."

Nathan frowned. "How?"

The best she could manage was a half-hearted shrug. "I'm not sure, but I'd bet it has something to do with our connection. He said he _felt_ it when we opened that door." She sighed, raising slowly to her feet to look down on him.

Audrey could feel his eyes follow her as she strapped her gun to her waist, then as she knelt down to secure her backup to her ankle. She looked up to meet his raised eyebrows and merely shrugged in response.

"I want to be prepared." She said matter-of-factly, standing up and giving him a pointed look.

"We can't hurt him." Nathan chastised her, but there was a mocking note to his voice, a reminder of how she'd berated him about the same fact yesterday.

"_You_ can't hurt him. I don't know, maybe it's different for me." Audrey sounded vaguely hopeful, and he frowned.

"You really think that?"

"No." She shook her head. "But can you humor me?"

His mouth quirked up in a smirk as he nodded at her. Finally he slid from the bed, crossing over to where she stood and wrapping his arms fully around her waist. She relaxed in his grip, resting her head just over his heart. The steady beating created a soothing tone, and for just a moment she closed her eyes, taking several slow breaths. A few seconds passed and Audrey pulled away from him, pressing her hand against his chest to put space between them.

"Do you still want to come?"

"Of course." Nathan's answer came automatically, his brow wrinkling as if he was surprised it was ever in question. "I know you can handle it, but I want to be there."

She ducked her head even as she smiled. His steadfast devotion was comforting and wonderful, but sometimes she feared it only put him in danger.

"I have a plan, though." She looked back up at him, and once more she was consumed with the desire for answers, for any scrap of evidence she could find, even if it came from the least desirable of places. "And you're not gonna like it."

Nathan sighed, turning away from her and tugging open the drawer of the dresser she'd allotted to him.

She took another deep breath before continuing. "You can't go in with me."

She watched his posture stiffen, his head shaking gently before he pulled on a fresh shirt and turned to face her once more.

"Didn't you just say-"

"_Yes_, but he can't know you're there." Audrey knew William wouldn't talk much if Nathan came with her; whatever he claimed about how they were meant to love each other, she'd realized he still viewed Nathan as some sort of a threat. If he tagged along with her she wouldn't get any answers.

Nathan gave her a prizewinning pout, and she had to bite down at her bottom lip to keep from laughing at him.

"Look, I need answers and this is my best shot." She cleared her throat, crossing her arms as she waited for his reaction.

He sighed, leaning back against the dresser. "I know. What's your plan?"

She was surprised Nathan wasn't fighting her on going alone to talk with William, but perhaps he could tell just how desperate she was for any scrap of information he could give her. She couldn't even sleep anymore without being invaded by Mara's thoughts, her memories. It felt as if every moment she was haunted by a past she still didn't understand.

And as much as she wanted Nathan by her side, she'd have better luck with William if she approached him on her own. It was obvious to see what his end goal was: for her to be Mara again, to abandon Audrey and Sarah and Lucy and everyone else she'd been. All the_ good_ parts of her.

She took a deep breath before finally answering Nathan's question. "If I tell him I want to know about Mara because… Because I _want_ to be like that again, then I think I'll actually get something out of him."

Nathan's face clouded over for a moment, adapting the stony expression he wore so often with others. "You don't, right?" He asked, his voice flat.

It took her a few minutes to figure out what he was referring to. Suddenly she frowned deeply, trying to find the words to refute him when she realized she had a much better way.

She closed the distance between them in two easy steps, one hand fisting in his shirt as she rocked up onto her tip toes to kiss him soundly. It didn't take him long to respond, his arm coming to curl around her waist and his hand cupping her cheek.

She broke away reluctantly after several moments, noting the way his flushed cheeks almost definitely matched hers.

_"No." _ Audrey shook her head, her hand releasing its tight grip on his shirt. She smoothed over the fabric for a moment, wondering briefly what sensations registered for him through the cloth. Looking back up at him with a smile, she settled back down on her feet, making sure she was still as close to him as possible. "No, of course not. You were right, that's not who I am anymore."

Nathan's stance finally relaxed, if only slightly. His hand lingered on her face, his thumb just barely brushing over her skin before he dropped it. "You sure it'll work?" He asked.

Audrey desperately wished she could say _yes, yes of course it will, I'm going to find out about me and Mara, and once I know that then we can get rid of William, send him back to whatever hellhole he came crawling out of, and then we can end the troubles, and then we'll live happily ever after, right?_

But there were no definitives in anything they did anymore, and Nathan knew that as well as she did. All she could offer was the hope that this would all end okay.

"We'll see, I guess." She tried her best to sound positive but he surely knew her well enough to pick up on when she was nervous. He reached out for her hand, squeezing her fingers tight within his own.

"Alright." Once again he had schooled his features into a passive expression, his eyes holding a blank stare. "What do we do next?"

* * *

Audrey instructed Nathan to drive them to an empty warehouse near downtown, and surprisingly enough he complied easily. He didn't even seem thrown off that she was unable to explain just how she knew where to go. There was a niggling feeling bouncing around inside of her brain, it seemed. Somehow she just _knew_ where William was. She couldn't describe it to Nathan, but it was just an innate sense, a fact she didn't even have to think about.

She wondered if that meant William knew where she was, if he was capable of finding her the same way. She had thought as much just after they'd opened the door in the lighthouse, when she could feel their connection as if it was a real, tangible thing.

It had been terrifying and alluring at the same time, but she'd tried to shut off those feelings, push them away as fast as she could. Now the feeling was faint but she could still sense it, beating deep inside of her.

She hated it. She hated the idea that she was bound to William in some way, that her survival ensured his as well. But maybe getting some answers about her past, about who Mara was and what she had done, would lead her to a way to severe her ties with William.

As they neared the rundown building Audrey tried to push down the butterflies in her stomach. She would be fine, Nathan would be nearby, and William couldn't hurt her anyways. At least that's what she repeated to herself as she asked Nathan to stop the car over a block away from their intended destination.

He turned to her with a frown.

"William's not an idiot." She reached for the door handle, the cold metal bringing her out of her thoughts. "If we come up together he'll know you're here."

Nathan sighed, undoing his own seatbelt before shifting in the seat to face her. "I kinda feel like you're making me wait outside while the big kids talk."

Audrey rolled her eyes, a smile slowly creeping onto her face. "Yeah, that's exactly it."

He raised his eyebrows and she let out a laugh. As he extended a hand to brush a fallen strand of hair back behind her ear, her face grew serious again. "I want you here." She responded, her gaze flicking away from him. "I always want you with me."

He smiled softly, sweetly, and briefly she thought he was about to lean in and kiss her, but he turned away once more and cleared his throat.

"I'll give you a head start, then."

Audrey nodded, pushing open the car door without another word. The sun was beating hot overhead, but the wind was strong enough to make the day still feel a bit chilly. She counted her steps as she walked away from the car, _one two three four_, nearly silent in her boots. The building seemed covered in darkness as she approached it, the fading brown paint out of place on the street full of colorfully painted shops.

Facing the open lot were two large wooden doors, and even from a few feet away Audrey could pick out largely splintered areas. The wood looked as if it had seen better days a few decades ago. She knocked carefully, sparing a glance behind her to ensure the parking lot appeared empty.

Almost immediately the door swung open, and Audrey had to force down her automatic urge to smack the smirking face that greeted her.

"Well, I thought you'd be here sooner."

She pushed by him roughly, entering a darkened hallway, bare except for the ancient wallpaper peeling on the walls.

"Are we not going to invite Nathan in, then?" William slammed the door shut and suddenly the hall was covered in darkness. Audrey blinked rapidly, her eyes trying to adjust, and she quickly spun back around.

"Nathan?" She asked, trying to keep her tone flat, but she knew it was already a hopeless cause.

He grinned at her, giving a shrug before he started walking down the hall. "Come on, you can't lie to me. We don't have secrets anymore."

"What the hell does that mean?" She reluctantly followed after him, the sound of their scraping feet echoing in the empty space.

William whirled to face her, that same obnoxiously wide smile plastered on his face. "It means that our _connection_ is still here. It never went away." He sounded almost breathless in his excitement. Audrey shuffled back a step, her eyes trained on him.

"I'm glad Nathan's not coming though, because I _really_ think we need some alone time." He continued on down the hall, Audrey slowly following after him.

"I gotta admit, I was getting a little worried. I was going to come find you if you didn't show up soon." His voice had a teasing tone to it, like all of the death and destruction he was committing in this town was some great big joke. She grit her teeth, biting back all the angry phrases that came to mind. Shouting obscenities wasn't going to get her anywhere, although it might make her feel a bit better.

The hallway emptied into a wide open room, illuminated partially by the tall dusty windows. It took a few moments but Audrey recognized it as the room from her dream, or almost-dream, or whatever the hell it was.

That realization sparked a burning question. "How did you talk to me?" She stopped suddenly in the doorway, and her voice rang out strong in the empty air. He turned round once more, pausing in the center of the room.

"What?"

She took a step forward, eyes glancing over the darkened corners and bare walls she'd found herself thrust into. "In my dream. You…. You did something. You talked to me."

As if on instinct his smile returned, slowly growing as she spoke. He nodded, taking a moment to survey the room himself. "I told you, we're connected. We're unique."

_Unique_. _That was one way of putting it_, Audrey scoffed.

William's attention snapped back to her. "That's why you're here, isn't it? You want to know about us."

"No." Her response was immediate, cutting off whatever nonsense he was about to spew. "I want to know about me."

He sighed, beginning to pace about the room. "We're the same." He offered, and Audrey watched him walk, trailing his fingers along the peeling walls. Something sharp pricked on her own hand and she lifted it up, watching a small bubble of red rise on the pad of her ring finger and start to snake down the skin. She wiped it away, glaring up at him as he raised his own injured hand. "See?"

She clenched her hand into a fist, but she could feel the cut finger beating within it, the persistent throb of a wound.

"I'm not here to play games."

The room was so quiet she could hear his soft chuckle, even as she remained lurking near the doorway. "I don't want to play games with you. Not yet, anyway." William shook his head, and for the first time since she found out who he was his voice sounded sincere. "I can tell you everything. Better yet, I can _show_ you everything." He stopped pacing finally, turning to face her with a wide grin. "What do you want to know?"

A thousand ideas ran around in her head but it felt as if her throat was too dry to speak, and she couldn't utter a word. _What did she want to know?_ Anything she could. Anything at all.

"Who am I?" She managed at last, the words coming out just above a whisper.

William reached for her hand and she flinched as he touched her but didn't pull away, her eyes locked on his.

"You're Mara. _My_ Mara, you remember, don't you?" His voice dropped an octave as he crept closer, and when he extended his other hand to just barely brush her cheek she stepped back suddenly, her fingers closing around the handle of her gun.

"Don't."

He dropped his hand with a roll of his eyes, following her orders and inching away from her once more.

"You're not gonna use that." He shrugged, and Audrey quickly shook her head.

"I'll knock us both out, I don't care." _It'd be worth the headache_, she thought.

William tilted his head, observing her for a second, before he turned away again. "Have it your way." He didn't resume his walking, but instead stayed positioned just a few feet from her, hands shoved into his pockets. The two of them remained in silence for several long seconds, and as much as her brain was screaming at her to ask him something, _anything_, Audrey resolved not to be the one to break it.

"Did you just come here to be stubborn, then?" He laughed to himself, but it sounded more cruel than humorous. "That's an Audrey Parker trait. I'm not very fond of it."

"I came for answers." She pressed her lips together, her fingers itching to grab for her gun once more. "And I don't care what you're fond of."

Something seemed to change in his expression, and the jovial, almost gleeful look he'd held before vanished. His eyes were hard, and he advanced towards her. "You need to ask questions to get answers."

Audrey retreated again, her feet knocking into the wall as she stepped back.

"I did." She tried to sound calm and confident still but the nervousness was growing in her stomach, even as he turned to face away from her.

"And I _told_ you. I can show you everything." His back was to her but she could imagine the look on his face, a malicious smirk to match the angry tone of his voice. "But this is the end of the line for _Audrey Parker_ if you remember it all."

Audrey shook her head, knowing he couldn't see it anyway. He had to be wrong, didn't he? She could choose who she wanted to be. Whatever Mara had done, that wasn't her. Not anymore.

But still she could remember the power that had flowed through her when she gave Lincoln Harker a trouble, how _good_ it had all felt. Some part of her believed what he was saying, that there was still something within her that belonged to who she used to be.

William spun back around, and the momentary anger seemed to have faded. Once again he looked so ecstatically pleased with himself, his smug smile only growing as she remained silent. "Well?" He asked. "Got anymore questions?"

She flatted her palms against the rough wall, the uneven surface digging into her skin. Maybe she should leave now, turn around and walk out of this creepy place, find Nathan and drive until they were far, far away.

But as appealing as that sounded, she knew she couldn't just up and leave. She couldn't desert Duke, for one, although she had a feeling he would be equipped to handle just about anything by now. Even beside him, she had a duty to Haven, didn't she? She couldn't leave thousands of innocent people in the hands of someone like William.

No, she had to do this. Not just for the town, but for herself. She'd spent countless lifetimes living as other people, it was time she knew who she really was. Regardless of what that knowledge might do to her.

Only one question really seemed to matter, then. _"How?"_

William surveyed her, his gaze focusing intently on her own. "How what?" He responded, the mocking tone returning to his voice.

"How can you show me?"

He reached for her again and she shook her head, but she was already pressed back against the wall, there was no where else to go. When his hand made contact with her own she felt that same spark again, the electrifying feeling that raised the hair on the back of her neck.

"It won't hurt." William looked down at their hands and Audrey closed her eyes. Her brain was whizzing again, filling her with doubt. _What if he lied? What if he wasn't going to help her at all?_

She wanted to get away, to shove him off and run out the door. This was a horrible idea, she decided. She couldn't trust him with something like this. Her eyes flew open as her resolve to get away solidified, but all she had time to see was William reaching for her head before there was another strong spark and a crackling noise, and everything faded away.


End file.
